Fifteen years ago, Rick Wells decided to open a steakhouse in the heart of McKinney, not knowing what impact it would eventually have on the community.

It’s hard to believe it had been two whole years since our last farm tour, and it felt soooo good to get back on the bus! We loaded up 50 eager folks bright and early and headed out to the country for the day.

We held our second ever Gala in the Garden on October 16th. The day was just beautiful, low 70s and sunny! The garden at Water Boy Farm has never looked better, thanks to Farm Director Jennifer Spring’s careful planning and months of work.

After rescheduling several times over the last eighteen months, we finally welcomed farmer and author Ben Hartman to McKinney!

Harvest Seasonal Kitchen hosted another pair of sold-out Suppers with a Cause in support of McKinney Roots! The seasonal spring menu was curated by Chef Andrea with the best offerings from our local farms, paired with wines and seasonal cocktails to make for a perfect evening.

Our last Supper with a Cause was almost exactly a year ago. That night, we packed fifty guests into the Great Room and Cellar at Harvest Seasonal Kitchen in celebration of Empty Bowls McKinney.

For the first time, we hosted one of our Farm Tours during the fall! The organizers of the Dallas food festival Chefs for Farmers asked if we would do a tour as part of their weekend lineup of events, and we happily obliged.

It was a celebration of all things Harvest. Over a dozen of the farmers and ranchers that grow food for the restaurant were in attendance, alongside many of Harvest’s greatest supporters over the last five years. Several artists and artisans were in attendance as well, including Paul Ernest, who’s stunning images of North Texas agriculture on the walls have become synonymous with Harvest itself.

Webb Elementary School is a Title I school and home to nearly 400 students in grades K-5 on McKinney’s east side. Nearly three quarters of the students enrolled are on free or reduced lunch programs.

Farmers markets are wonderful, but there is nothing like actually visiting a farm to make you feel truly connected to the people that grow your food. For our spring farm tour this year, we visited Water Boy Farms in Lucas, Pure Land Farm in McKinney, and Stonebranch Microfarm in Celina.

It was a beautiful rare spring day in 2019, rare because it wasn’t raining! A hundred guests gathered at the long table in the meadow for a special Supper with a Cause to support the Connemara Conservancy Foundation.

Hugs Café is a very special place. Just off the square in Downtown McKinney, Hugs is a restaurant staffed almost entirely by adults with special needs. It was a dream of founder Ruth Thompson.

Seventy degrees and sunny, the perfect North Texas fall day. We sold out our first ever outdoor Gala in the Garden at Water Boy Farms weeks earlier and a dozen people were scattered on the farm, deep into event preparation for the night, with a little black cloud overhead; the forecast called for 90% severe storms at 8pm, exactly the time of our live auction.