Did you know that last year, over 14,000 computers tuned in from locations all over the globe to watch the live simulcast of the first TEDxManhattan “Changing the Way We Eat.” This Saturday, January 21, 2012, the second TEDxManhattan “Changing the Way We Eat” will be held at the Times Center in New York City.  There, 20 leaders in the field will explore the issues, impacts and the innovations happening as we shift to a more sustainable way of eating and farming. And anyone around the world can share in this exciting day by watching the live webcast at www.livestream.com/tedx from 10:30am – 5:15pm eastern standard time or by attending one of the local viewing parties happening across the country.  It’s easy, it’s free, and it will be both informative and inspiring.

If you’d like to be among like-minded individuals to tune into the talks, you may want to stop in at one of the local Viewing Parties being held from Portland, Oregon to Houston, Texas and even Marseille, France.  To find a list of Viewing Parties and to connect with them, visit the Viewing Party map on the TEDxManhattan website.  Click on one of the map pins in your area to get detailed information on the where and when.  All of the viewing parties are free, and many will feature local speakers who will talk about what’s happening in your community.

This is also wonderful opportunity for people around the world to connect online with each other and the sustainable food movement via these social media tools:

• Facebook – www.Facebook.com/TEDxManhattan
• Livestream chat – www.livestream.com/tedx
• Follow the Twitter feed at www.Twitter.com/TEDxManhattan (@TEDxManhattan #TEDxMan).

We hope you watch with us and join in the conversation. To learn more about the day and the speakers, visit www.tedxmanhattan.org

In February of this year, over 14,000 computers tuned in from locations all over the globe to watch the live simulcast of the first TEDxManhattan “Changing the Way We Eat.” On Saturday, January 21, 2012, the second TEDxManhattan “Changing the Way We Eat” – an independently organized event, licensed by TED – will be held at the Times Center in New York City. This one-day event whose lead sponsor is the Glynwood Institute for Sustainable Food and Farming, will explore the issues, the impacts and innovations happening as we shift to a more sustainable way of eating and farming and help to create connections and unite different areas of the food movement.

And while not everyone may be able to attend the local event, communities around the world can share in this inspiring day by hosting a viewing party of the live webcast in their hometowns.

WHERE can you host a viewing party?

In your home, a school, a library or other non-profit location, as well as restaurants (certain restrictions apply). And so that as many people as possible participate in TEDxManhattan, the TEDx team has made it simple to host your own viewing party, complete with a video and links to a Viewing Party Tool Kit, which outlines rules and ideas.

There’s a world-class line-up of speakers that are sure to inspire you and guests, including:
• Fred Kirschenmann, farmer, Distinguished Fellow at the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University, and President of the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in NY
• Mitchell Davis, vice president, the James Beard Foundation, cookbook author and food journalist
• Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director of Food & Water Watch
• Gary Oppenheimer, founder/executive director of AmpleHarvest.org, CNN Hero, Master Gardener, Huffington Post 2011 Game Changer, winner of the 2011 Glynwood Wave of the Future Harvest Award
• Michelle Hughes, Director of GrowNYC’s New Farmer Development Project

WHY host a Viewing Party?

Local viewing parties are opportunities for people around the world to connect with each other and the sustainable food movement. While events revolve around the speakers in NYC, organizers are encouraged to invite local speakers and plan activities to engage their participants during breaks. TEDxManhattan Viewing Party Coordinator Jane Orgel reports that there are already over three dozen viewing parties set up from California to Vermont, and in global communities in France and Canada.

To learn more about TEDxManhattan “Changing the Way We Eat,” to read about the complete line-up of speakers  and to learn more about host a viewing party, visit www.tedxmanhattan.org.  You can also follow on facebook and twitter:  www.facebook.com/tedxmanhattan and @tedxmanhattan.

What is  TEDx and TED?
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like* experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. *TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 25 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. For more information about TED and TEDx, please visit www.ted.com.

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 25 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. The annual TED Conference invites the world’s leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes. Their talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

If you are one of the many Americans who want to help change the way we eat in this country, you will want to tune in to TEDxManhattan on Saturday, February 12.  Listen to an amazing array of speakers, all big thinkers in their field, each of whom give short, thoughtful talks about how we can shift our industrial food system to one that provides fresh, locally produced food for everyone, all in the TED spirit of  ’ideas worth spreading’.

So you don’t live in Manhattan?  Well, the good news is you can still be a part of this inspiring day!  TEDxManhattan has helped over 100 communities in the US and Europe set up local viewing parties, where you can get together with like-minded people in your community to watch the event live; many cities will have local farmers, officials and food advocates there to speak about what’s happening in your own region, and most will serve locally grown foods at their party.  To attend a local viewing party in your area, visit http://tedxmanhattan.org/viewing-parties/ for information.

Can’t make a Viewing Party but want to be a part of TEDxManhattan?  You can take part from the comfort of your own home.  Just turn on your computer, go to www.livestream.com/tedx between 10:30am – 6:30pm eastern, and tune in.

TEDxManhattan will feature inspiring thought leaders at the cutting edge of their industry, each of whom will talk about the importance of finding new ways to redefine the way we grow and eat food from their perspective and field of expertise.  To learn about the speakers, their work and to view a schedule of when they will be giving their talks, go to www.tedxmanhattan.org/event.

We hope you will join The Glynwood Institute for Sustainable Food and Farming for this exciting day of  learning, listening and sharing.