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BEMIDJI -- Do you know where your food comes from before it hits your plate? If you鈥檙e thinking of the grocery store, Bemidji chef Amber Lynne is on a mission to change that mindset.

Lynne鈥檚 new restaurant, Table for 7, has come to town and she鈥檚 serving up farm-to-table cuisine. Each ingredient on her menu has been sourced from local farms around Minnesota with the goal of transporting Bemidji back to its culinary roots and inspiring diners to get to know their farmers.

鈥淚 think that we've become very disconnected from our food,鈥� Lynne said. 鈥淚 appreciate farmers very much for what they do because they truly do feed us. I think knowing a farmer, knowing their practices and being able to thank them is important, because it can be a thankless job.鈥�

But this isn't the first time Bemidji is getting a taste of Lynne鈥檚 homegrown recipes. Last summer, she collaborated with the Sanford Event Center to organize a series of five 100-seat pop-up restaurant events.

The concept: take what farmers have available and make delicious dishes for the community.

And after positive feedback, Lynne decided to move forward and launch a stationary restaurant, a dream she'd had tucked away since discovering a passion for cooking and eating locally.

But like many culinary ventures, Table for 7 started as a seedling of an idea that began with just a garden.

Although she had studied food service and nutrition at the University of Minnesota, Lynne said her food passion really began upon buying her great aunt鈥檚 farm.

鈥淭here was an existing garden that was very large, and I couldn't bring myself to turn it into a lawn. So, I decided to plant things in it, and I continued to work on it year after year and it just expanded,鈥� Lynne said. 鈥淚 would go out and find what was out there for the day and then create dinner. It was really exciting to grow and discover a variety of things, so then cooking from the garden became really, really exciting, too.鈥�

Over time, Lynne鈥檚 farm, The Red Barn Family Farm, also expanded, now supplying up to 10 families with CSA products each week. It also contributes a select amount of organic chicken and beef, which is sold directly to customers.

As a farmer herself, Lynne has cultivated relationships with area farmers for over 10 years, allowing her access to nearly all that Minnesota has to offer one鈥檚 palate. And while Table for 7 is her creative showcase of the state鈥檚 edible resources, she said it鈥檚 also an opportunity to grow the local farming community.

鈥淚 want other young farmers to be able to grow their businesses and to have another outlet for their produce,鈥� Lynne said. 鈥淔armers, we just have this disease. We farm a certain amount of food no matter what. And it's kind of nice to have a different outlet, because I know other young farmers who want to grow their businesses but don't know if selling at the farmers' market is enough.鈥�

In planning her menu for the opening of Table for 7 -- a soft open happened last weekend -- Lynne said a part of the process has been conveying the eatery鈥檚 unique concept to her suppliers.

鈥淲e're a little bit different in that I don't want to order from farmers what I want. I want them to tell me what they have available,鈥� Lynne said. 鈥淚t was a little bit different for the farmers to get that concept, because they're used to chefs coming to them and saying, 鈥業 want X amount of this and that.鈥欌��

So as a result of relying on seasonal -- and even weekly -- availability, Lynne said her menu will be smaller and likely to change more often than the average diner is used to. Nevertheless, Lynne believes a dynamic menu will allow folks to experiment with new dishes.

鈥淚t's fun to change things up and to create different things -- it鈥檚 more artistic,鈥� Lynne said. 鈥淥ne of my personal missions is to make people like what they think they don't. I want to remind people to be bold and brave and give new things a try.鈥�

Yet, with a pandemic at large -- which has resulted in restaurant shutdowns and a switch to take-out only options -- Lynne admitted it鈥檚 a precarious time to open Table for 7. In March, she signed a lease to occupy the space that was formerly Slurp Ramen in downtown Bemidji.

After feeling 鈥渂lindsided鈥� by the tumultuous state of the world, the mother of five considered backing out of her venture, but said it was ultimately her children who inspired her to persevere -- after all, the restaurant鈥檚 name pays homage to her family of seven.

鈥淲e've built up so much momentum and so many supporters. I think that people are just really wanting it. And I couldn't see my dream shrink as well as the people that I had planned on hiring,鈥� Lynne said. 鈥淲e're excited to get in the kitchen and do this. We鈥檙e biting the bullet and continuing to push forward.鈥�

And although it wasn鈥檛 the grand opening she had hoped for last weekend, Lynne said she and her staff are adjusting to necessary changes -- from finding aesthetic ways to plate take-out, to figuring out innovative techniques to grow as a business. For example, the restaurant recently debuted its own coffee line, and summery fruit drinks have been added to the menu.

Lynne said she鈥檚 looking to take on the challenge of expanding Bemidji鈥檚 food scene through educating people on the ways to transform food with a touch of artistry and ingenuity.

She hopes Table for 7 will act as a guiding culinary light for the community, attracting individuals who are interested in learning about local food and the ways to prepare it.

鈥淚 love teaching people about how easy and simple food can be. Take our menu, it's really not that difficult. It's very creative, but it's not hard,鈥� Lynne said. 鈥淔ood doesn't have to be hard to be really good. And when you've got local ingredients, it just kicks it up that notch and brings it home.鈥�

To donate to Amber Lynne's culinary mission, visit her . To order from Table for 7, visit its or call (218) 444-2586

1/3: Tempura fried quail eggs with spicy vinegar, on top of micro greens, is one of the appetizers listed on Table for 7鈥檚 menu. (Jillian Gandsey / Bemidji Pioneer)

2/3: A ramp pesto pizza is another item featured on the menu at Table for 7. (Jillian Gandsey / Bemidji Pioneer)

3/3: Cheesecake with a strawberry basil sauce is one of a few desserts listed on Table for 7鈥檚 menu. (Jillian Gandsey / Bemidji Pioneer)