The next time you order a salad out, ask if the greens are organic. Chances are the answer is no, but chef Michel Nischan wants you to ask anyway. The kitchen might take enough notice to start giving more business to local farmers who make the effort to grow organic fruits and vegetables.

"Asking for organics is not about being a pest," says Nischan, a Fairfield resident at the forefront of the New American Farming Initiative, a national organization intended to encourage the use of organic produce, meats and dairy in restaurants.

"Consumers vote with their dollars," Nischan says. "And the good restaurant is going to take note if their customers start asking for something."

The Hartford Courant