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In this energetic and humorous autobiographical presentation, Chefarmer™ Ken Myszka leads us through the integral stages of his life; growing from a young boy in a cake decorating class to the successful co-owner of two farm-to-fork restaurants with a plan to change the world. Myszka recounts numerous successes and failures as he embarked on his agricultural journey while standing on the shoulders of giants such as restaurateur Auguste Escoffier, author Michael Pollan, and farmer Joel Salatin. Now, as an accomplished chef, master farmer, co-owner of multiple businesses, and father of two, Ken Myszka teams up with TEDxNormal to inspire you to ask the all-important question: where is my food coming from? Ken Myszka of Downs, IL first discovered his interest in hospitality during high school. Vocational cooking classes through school helped to develop Ken’s skill set. Ken’s teachers recognized his natural ability and urged him to enroll at the Culinary Institute of America in NY. After graduating, he honed in on the business side of the food industry by pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality Management at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas. Living in Vegas provided Ken with opportunity to work in elite kitchens of renowned hotels and armed him with impressive culinary experience and a vision for a sustainable farm and restaurant. Today Ken operates Epiphany Farms Hospitality Group with this mission: to create a diversified, pasture based, food system that blends beyond organic farming with impeccable food. Today Ken is proud to call himself a Chefarmer™, operating a “beyond-organic” farm in symbiosis with two nationally recognized restaurants. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx