We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tarsha Gary a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Tarsha, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
Having been an accomplished and award winning Executive Chef for more than 26 years, my culinary journey afforded me the opportunity to explore my knowledge of food and passion for education and sustainability in a variety of special interests and projects.
1) I am Founder of ECOTONE World, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to be a “green” vision catalyst offering tangible solutions to address the needs of urban communities in areas of sustainability, community development, gardening, health & nutrition, organic commerce and ecological global enrichment.
As Chief Educator I have had the pleasure and privilege to design, construct and utilize community gardens to serve as interactive outdoor classrooms. These garden projects provide a platform for learning opportunities and educational programming purposed to expand community awareness related to the importance of organic urban agriculture, improved nutrition and the development of life skills.
2) “Community Kids Cook with Chef Tarsha” is a healthy food education program with its target demographic focused on urban youth. The program’s objective is to impact youth by offering life skills education and training focusing on prevailing issues surrounding health & nutrition and the prevention of childhood obesity. We accomplish this mission with a systematic approach to healthy food education via tangible resources (hands-on training), printed resources, interactive lectures and culinary industry exposure (field trips).
3) “Freestyle Flavor with Chef Tarsha Gary” is a podcast “Cookumentary” TM – highlighting all things FOOD! The show features interviews that uncover backstories; asks less obvious questions and celebrates the flavors we all love! Join Chef Tarsha in the journey forward in conversation with cooks, farmers, gardeners, educators, ranchers, and regular folks discussing cultural foodways, culinary history, ingredient profiles, food security and recipe fanfare. The podcast is an audio format and can be heard wherever your favorite podcasts are streamed.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Tarsha M. Gary is a multifaceted Artist (culinarian, painter, quilter, writer, farmer and speaker). Gary is an award-winning Executive Chef-Owner of “CRAVE” Gourmet Catering – a full-service catering company thriving in the Houston for more than 25 years. Chef Gary is also the enthusiastic Founder and Chief Educator of ECOTONE World (www.ecotoneworld.com) – an urban sustainability model advocating urban agriculture (community gardening), food education, organic commerce, and global enrichment. In this capacity Gary has designed and project managed construction of several community gardens for public utilization in Houston. One of ECOTONE’s most successful education initiatives is “Community Kids Cook™ w/Chef Tarsha” a healthy food education program targeting urban youth for the past 18 years. Currently, she is also Host of a podcast: “Freestyle Flavor with Chef Tarsha Gary” in an effort to archive “unabbreviated conversations” with food folk in development of what she terms a”Cookumentary.” TM
2013, Chef Gary joined the faculty of San Jacinto Community College [North] as Adjunct Culinary Instructor for three years. During that time Chef led many lab and lecture classes for students desiring to become educated (by certificate or degree) culinary industry professionals. Additionally, Gary designed a student community kitchen garden which was constructed,
maintained and utilized by the students on campus with the subsequent development of a “Garden Club.”
2017, Gary was invited to the role of “Convener” of the Food Education Circle to support the United Nations’ International Decade for People of African Descent, a role she welcomed with great excitement and a goal of widespread global impact. In this capacity, Gary was responsible for coalescing a Food Education Circle comprised of Diaspora food historians, educators, and instructor-chefs from around the USA and Carribean. This circle works to reconnect African Americans with fresh food consumption, African foodways, and a rich heritage of working with the earth.
Some of her numerous honors include: BIPOC Arts Network Fund 2023 Award Honoree; James Beard Foundation Chef’s Summit (2023 – Cohort in the area of “Conservation & Sustainability”); City of Houston Proclamation (2022 – Juneteenth Culinary Celebration: Highlighting Black Women Chefs); City of Houston Certificate of Appreciation from District D (2022 – Juneteenth Culinary Celebration from Council Member Carolyn Evans-Shabazz); Presidential Acknowledgement (2016 – President Barack Obama); Mayor’s Proud Partner Award (2016 and 2014—City of Houston for ECOTONE World successful community engagement; and for designing and project managing the Renovation of Independence Heights Park Community Garden), Strategic Corporate Community Partner Award (2014—World Youth Foundation), Top 50 Women Conversationalist” (featured as one of the 50 women at 2014 “Table Talk” presented by the Friends of Women’s Studies University of Houston Women); “Ready Houston Preparedness Chef’s Challenge 2013 Champion”; “Top 25 Women of Houston” (2011- Comerica Bank & Rolling Out Magazine); “Texas Blazing Star” (2010 – Texas Women’s Chamber of Commerce in Austin), “40 Under 40” (2009 – Houston Business Journal); “40 Under 40 Chefs” (2009 – Mother Nature’s Network –national listing #11), “Pinnacle Award Finalist” (2008 – Houston Citizen’s Chamber of Commerce).
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
Art appreciation and artistic expression, in all forms, has been an integral part of my life. Particularly profound and propelling my journey forward has been the opportunity to reference and reflect on the lives, works and accomplishments of women throughout the African and Indigenous Diaspora. Overcoming obstacles, clinging firm to dignity and evolution is a standard step for women, all women, of influence. I’m driven by the will of “change makers” who have come before me and those who have yet to arrive. My mission in part is to continue to effect the respected image of “Women in Sustainability” through the unfolding of my own seasoned sets of works and accomplishments.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is taking license to illuminate your own perspective, giving rise to your voice, texture, culture and flair. I find diversity is the best thing; having the ability to recreate your image, change your perspective or literally surpass the limiting expectations of others. And to look back and say, “yeah I did that!”
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ecotoneworld.com
- Instagram: @Chef Tarsha | @Freestyle Flavor
- Facebook: Chef Tarsha