When Mark Filatow started wandering the Kelowna Farmers' and Crafters' Market two decades ago he was the only chef in the crowd.

"No other local restaurants were sending chefs to the market to pick anything up and connect with farmers," said Filatow who is now the chef, sommelier and co-owner at Waterfront Wines Restaurant & Bar in downtown Kelowna.

"Compare that to now and there's been a big revolution. Many restaurants, hotels and wineries have jumped on the Farm to Table bandwagon."

In fact, the influx of chefs, restaurants and wineries that have embraced this doctrine have transformed the Okanagan into a culinary destination where a meal laden with local ingredients paired with a Valley wine is revered.

When Filatow first moved to Kelowna and started showing up at the farmers' market 20 years ago, he was working at Fresco with chef Rod Butters, who can also be considered a Farm to Table pioneer in the Okanagan.

Butters currently has four eateries in downtown Kelowna — Raudz Regional Table, Micro Bar+Bites, The Okanagan Table and Sunny's Modern Diner.

The two met while working together at the Wickaninnish Inn in Tofino, which is considered a provincial Farm to Table leader.

Filatow also gives credit to chef Grant de Montreuil as a true Okanagan Farm to Table founder.

His De Montreuil's in downtown Kelowna in the 1990s sought out local produce when most other restaurants were ordering from distributors who carried an international array of supplies.

By the time Filatow opened Waterfront Wines in 2004, he had curated a network of farmer suppliers who were willing to deliver to the new restaurant.

"Farm-fresh deliveries are amazing and it was a real game changer," said Filatow.

In all, Waterfront Wines now deals with 40 different farm suppliers.

If you consider Western Canada as 'local' then Waterfront Wines' menu is 95% local in the summer and 65% local in the winter.

"We consider any Okanagan fruits, vegetables, meat, honey, eggs, wine and cheeses local, as well as West Coast seafood and Alberta beef," said Filatow.

Man started as hunters and gatherers and progressed to farmers when agriculture became mainstream.

So essentially, Farm to Table has been around for millennia.

But in modern times, before this century, most restaurants relied on big distribution and supply companies to deliver products with little thought to origin.

Thus, the Farm to Table, Farm to Fork, Field to Fork, market-driven, farm-fresh, slow-food and re-imagined concepts are relatively new.

Yet, such foodie phrases run the danger of losing all meaning because they are bandied about so much.

That's why the proof is in the pudding, so to speak, at Waterfront Wines.

"We celebrate Farm to Table on our menu everyday," said Filatow.

"When servers approach every table there's talk of where the food is from and how it's prepared. We also showcase it on Instagram."

Currently, on Filatow's menu he's particularly proud of the chicken from Silver Springs Farm in Falkland, beef from Okanagan Centre, lamb from Harmony Farms in Creston, sablefish from the West Coast and vegetables from Green Croft Farms in Grindrod.

Waterfront Wines is one of 18 restaurants, seven farms and orchards, six farmers' markets and many wineries, breweries, cideries and distilleries on Tourism Kelowna's self-guided Farm to Table Tour.

Other restos include 19 Okanagan Grill, Basil & Mint, Block One at 50th Parallel Winery, Bohemian Cafe, Gulfstream, Home Block at CedarCreek Winery, Raudz Regional Table and the Lakeside Dining Room at Hotel Eldorado.