Food is community | Lyn Harwell | TEDxSchriever

The best way to get to know someone is to share a meal with them. Seeds Community Café provides the opportunity for people to engage with someone within their community they might not ordinarily get the chance to meet.
A childhood spent on a farm in northeast Ohio shaped Lyn Harwell’s views on community and how neighbors can help and support one another through sharing food and resources. “A seemingly forgotten way of living in America,” says Harwell. Thirty-plus years spent as a chef in world-class restaurants taught Harwell the importance of creating beautiful food for people to enjoy and gather together to share. In recent years, he spent time helping others open community kitchens and supporting local sustainability. This led him to open Seeds Community Café in September 2013. Seeds is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that is based on a “pay it forward” model wherein patrons can partake of healthy, nutritious, locally-sourced and creatively crafted meals, regardless of their ability to pay. “I am a huge supporter of Community Cafes, Kitchens and local gardens as a Social Enterprise and way of life,” he says. “I believe this concept of sharing local great food around a community table can change the world we l
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx