TEDxManhattan: Changing The Way We Eat

TED talks are, as many of you know, devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. One idea certainly worth spreading is that of what a sustainable food system might look like, both globally and domestically. Perhaps you saw, as the 2010 TED prize winner, Jamie Oliver's moving speech on his wish to educate children about food and cooking. Or architect Carolyn Steel's talk on how food shapes our cities, or Mark Bittmans' presentation about what's wrong with what we eat.

TEDxManhattan, an independently organized TED event, is devoting an entire day worth of talks - a symposium, of sorts - this Saturday, February 12th, between 10am and 6pm, to this imagined sustainable food system, featuring visionaires and on-the-ground folks working to shift the US food system from an industrially-based agricultural system to one in which healthy, nutritious and safe food is available to all. The line-up looks pretty incredible -- Slow Food USA President; Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Program Director; King Corn Filmmakers; President of the Environmental Working Group, etc -- and luckily for us, even though we're hours away from Manhattan, we'll be able to watch from afar by way of their live stream feed. I encourage you all to tune in for part or all of it at http://www.livestream.com/tedx.

If you'd like to participate in what's sure to be an inspiring satellite party, Slow Food Richmond, St. Stephen's Episcopal Church and the St. Stephen's Farmers Market are co-hosting a viewing party of this unique event at Saint Stephen's Episcopal Church Fellowship Hall; 6000 Grove Avenue; Richmond, VA from 10am to 6pm on Saturday, February 12th. During lunch and breaks participants will have an opportunity to join in facilitated discussions, share their own TED-like short talks, swap recipes, network, and learn about Slow Food RVa, its goals for the year and the Slow Food movement nationally and internationally. Lunch offerings will be available for purchase from a select range of local sustainably-produced food purveyors. Coffee, tea and water will be provided. Admission is free, but advanced registration is required. Please visit http://slowfoodrvachanging.eventbrite.com/ for more info.

I hope you can tune in one way or another!