Several years ago Tod Murphy dreamed of a restaurant “where everyone would feel welcome to come in” but did not anticipate the international coverage he has received for his farmer-friendly diner in small-town Vermont.

Approximately 50 ISU students, professors and community members listened to the CEO and founder of The Farmers Diner as he shared the highs and lows of starting and running his business on Monday afternoon.

Murphy’s speech, entitled “Eating and investing locally: The Farmers Diner,” focused on the process of beginning a small-town restaurant and turning it into a national chain.

The Farmers Diner is a 60-seat restaurant located in Barre, Vt., population 7,000.

With nearly 75 percent of the food served coming from farms within 70 miles of the diner, Murphy has surpassed his original goal by 10 percent in only three years.

“I think 70 cents out of every dollar being spent within 70 miles is a success,” he said.

His menu features meat from animals raised in Vermont and processed at Murphy’s own locker plant.

He also purchases dairy products and fresh vegetables from nearby farmers, who appear on the menus and placemats of the restaurant.

Murphy said one of the farmers featured on the menu cover has even been turned into a local celebrity.

“He brings lettuce into the restaurant and girls point and whisper,” he said.

“Within three days of opening the diner, all 12 menus with his picture were missing.”

Murphy has more than 20 years of experience in running businesses and small farms.

He said he came to Iowa because of his interest in “old-school hog production.”

“I was born a farmer,” Murphy said.

“It just took me 30 years to learn that.”

The presentation was held in the Pioneer Room of the Memorial Union.

It was sponsored by the Marketing and Food Systems Initiative of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture in collaboration with the Drake University Agricultural Law Center in Des Moines.

Murphy’s successful business has been featured in Reader’s Digest, the Boston Globe and The New York Times, as well as gaining international recognition in a Japanese documentary and several European newspapers.

With more investors and research on the way, plans to expand the diner into a chain are being proposed for the Boston area, he said.