CHICAGO - The buy local movement has trickled down to smaller restaurants and eateries, the Chicago Tribune reports. When Big Bowl purchased $15,000 worth of heirloom seeds for Heritage Prairie farm to plan and cultivate for the eatery, the influx of cash provided a need boost to the farm.

"When [hotels and casual-dining restaurants] embrace local foods, it really can make a huge difference to the farming community; it really helps to make us viable," said Bronwyn Weaver, one of the farm??s co-founders.

"These farmers need enough buy-in to make it work," said Danny McGowan, president of Big Bowl, a Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises chain with a total of 20 locations. "And lots of farms can't get a small-biz loan to get started."

Such relationships between farmers and chefs has moved from high-end, fine-dining restaurants to more casual eateries. With more customers valuing local produce ?" McGowan puts that number at 30% to 40% for Big Bowl?"it??s a win-win situation for both farm and restaurant.

According to the National Restaurant Association, around 90% of fine-dining U.S. establishments use local products, with the percentage dropping along with the restaurant??s price point: 63% for casual-dining restaurants, 56% for family restaurants, 45% for fast-casual and 28% for QSRs.

"You can't overemphasize the value of being able to use local produce from a nutrition and health standpoint," said Dan Rosenthal, owner of Sopraffina, Poag Mahone's Ale House and Trattoria No. 10. "Commodity produce is built for shelf life, transportation, ruggedness, and all of that is at the expense of flavor and nutrition."