With the trees ready to bring out their fall colors, an Ames restaurant will be changing its menu to fit local growers and the new season.

For local restaurant The Cafe, 2616 Northridge Parkway, an emphasis on local agriculture is something to take pride in. Using produce from local growers, including Ames’ Onion Creek Farm and Small Potatoes of Minburn, the food is always fresh and is fit to the season.

General manager and co-owner Kevin Rettig finds the use of local agriculture to greatly improve the taste of the meals.

“What’s important to us is good food and local food – in so many cases is better. It’s been ripened to the right ripeness. [It’s] perfect,” he said.

With the current season, many menu items feature tomatoes, and in the coming weeks, there will be a prevalence of squash and apples.

“They change the menu, so it’s always different, and the presentation is lovely,” said Mari Lindner, Maxwell resident and a frequent patron to the restaurant.

Including keeping your taste buds on edge, The Cafe stresses the health of its dishes.

“You get a lot of fresh, healthy food, not processed like most restaurants. [The] fresh stuff is definitely a lot better for you,” said Mallory Kock, senior in dietetics, who works as a barista at The Cafe.

The use of local produce and meat not only keeps the menu varied and fresh, but also helps the local agriculture community. Additionally, it helps keep a sense of community to the growers and restaurants in the area.

“Obviously, by spending dollars locally, we’re always keeping that money within city bounds. And hopefully that’s coming right back at us,” Rettig said.

Joe Lynch, who owns Onion Creek Farm, 3700 Onion Creek Lane, with his wife, Lonna Nachtigal, finds Ames restaurants to make up the majority of his sales. Onion Creek Farm also gets business from Stomping Grounds, Cafe Shi and Aunt Maude’s.

“This year they’re three-quarters of my business,” Lynch said.

The farm’s main crops are fresh greens, onions, specialty green beans, herbs and heirloom tomatoes.

The Cafe sells the farm’s fresh garlic in its cafe section, along with local milk and butter from Sheeder Farms of Guthrie Center.

An aspects of the restaurant Rettig appreciates in particular is seeing familiar faces.

“One of the things that I like about The Cafe is that we are a neighborhood cafe. We have people that see us three times a week, five times a week, seven times a week- whether it’s just for a cup of coffee on their way to work, or maybe it’s breakfast one day and lunch another and dinner another,” Rettig said.

Being so close to a college campus has its perks, too. Rettig said the restaurant business is perfect for college students.

College students often work in restaurants, so Rettig said there is a constant source of ready-to-hire workers for The Cafe.

Iowa State also brings a diverse set of customers. International students and faculty members who have traveled around the world can have a unique taste for cuisine.

“We serve a lot of people that have been all over the world – or at least all over the country – and have eaten in great restaurants, so their expectations can be very high,” Rettig said. “And that’s awesome. It gives us a bar to try to match.”