The holiday season is upon us, and we’ve decided to make it even more fun. At Harvest, every purchase of a seed paper star ornament for $25 is one chance to win a $500 gift card to Rick’s Chophouse and Harvest! All proceeds from the sales are donated to the Seed Project Foundation, which we’ll put to good work funding more local sustainable causes in 2020.

Texan by Nature, a conservation non-profit founded by former First Lady Laura Bush, today announced the honorees of the first-ever Texan by Nature 20 (TxN 20), an official ranking of 20 companies with Texas operations that have made a demonstrative commitment to conservation.

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.

Time to get your applications in for grants administered in 2020! If you are a North Texas school or nonprofit that embraces sustainability, read the eligibility requirements and fill out an application. The application period closes at midnight on December 31st. There is no disqualification from receiving a grant in successive years.

In 2019, the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance’s Farm and Food Leadership Conference was held in San Marcos, Texas. For the first time, FARFA partnered with Texas State University’s Small Producer’s Initiative, to offer more sessions, speakers, and workshops than ever.

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.

Easily our favorite event of the year, the fourth annual Chef and Farmer Pot Luck was held at Water Boy Farms on Memorial Day Weekend. Due to the never-ending rain this spring, it was too muddy to set a long table in the paddock as we usually do, but that wasn’t going to slow us down!

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.

The Seed Project held our first North Texas Farm-to-Table Symposium of the year in the Ballroom of the Grand Hotel in Downtown McKinney. Nearly 140 local farmers, ranchers, local food advocates, chefs, restaurateurs attended.