ECOTONE World

We’re on the move with community outreach and healthy food education programming! Today, Chef Tarsha, Founder of ECOTONE World was joined by Ron McFarland, Founder | Farmer of Harlem River Farms for their collaborative presentation: “The Farmer & The Chef: Where Is Our Food Coming From?” In support of NEO Project’s Outdoor & Green Careers Day, Chef Tarsha and Farmer Ron led interactive engagement with approximately 120 students at Towne West Elementary School in Fort Bend County, Houston TX Given four sessions of 40 minutes intervals, students’ expressed excitement and anticipation as they as they got to touch and taste, dream and draw, and create culinary art! “Tropical Fruit Skewers” were the talk of Townewest Elementary (smile) and everyone had an opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas in response to the question: Where is Our Food Coming From? The opportunity to work with their hands, engage nature (via live plants), and eat their work went over well with young career dreamers. We hope to have inspired a few Farmers and Chefs out of this bunch!

Climate change is affecting everyone around the country in a number of ways some of which, shall we say, are not so bad. Here in Southeast Texas we’ve seen an extension in our Summer growing season availing a warmer than usual Fall. Let’s just call it “Summerall,” a fusion of both seasons, the latter of which has had an incredible effect on the garden.

So many more summer veggies like tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, black berries and even watermelons (say whaaat) have continued to grow well into October! With no clear end to the Summer harvest we rolled into the Fall harvest without a trace. Abundant sacks of unexpected top quality organic produce had been a gift with many great meal options for months to come.

Interestingly enough, we learned that our growing zone had changed from Zone 9 to Zone 8. Only time will tell whether or not we’ll be able to plan for this kind of growth pattern in the coming year. Faced with blazing heat and drought conditions, we’ve adapted to rising temps little by little, season by season to improve our growing practice; require less water and implement heavier mulching. We’ve let grass and weeds grow in certain instances to provide a natural ground cover and retain moisture deep into the soil. We haven’t rushed to use our rainwater reserve tanks. Instead, the observation of nature’s adaptation in spite of the heat confirmed our “ground game” had proven successful. Choosing to “spot” hand-water once or twice, we allowed the green space to fight for survival instead of pampering it with regular watering. The fact is all gardens want to grow! Our efforts were rewarded greatly and we’re still harvesting!

The first time was so nice we got invited back to do it twice (in the same year no less)!

Feeling like the first time, “Soul Fest” Fall 2023 was charming and soul satisfying in the confines of an open-air courtyard. The continuation of this “cultural anthology of life depictions” was interpreted through sight, sound, taste and movement and maintained its original theme: “Keep On Keeping On!” with a focus on honoring legacy and tradition through the lens of preservation and reverence.

Chef Tarsha presented a talk highlighting seasonal flavors and the timely use of root vegetables fresh from the Fall garden. Sticking to the the subject of Preservation the topic of “canning and traditional methods of preserving a bountiful harvest” (particularly utilizing mason jars) prefaced a couple of cooking demonstrations to include: “Ms. T’s Quick Pickles” and “Pumpkin Sweet Potato Hash.” The crowd, intrigued to witness actual pickles being made in front of their very eyes, relished in the taste of unexpected flavor combinations and light bites of organic produce. It was another great demonstration of how culinary skill impacts cultural history and food ways.