How to feed an entire conference with local food? Ask the crowd!
TEDxSydney’s crowd-farmed feast (Photo: TEDxSydney)
This year, the team at TEDxSydney took on a seemingly impossible task: feed 2,200 people with only the food grown in their own backyards. There was fear; there was trepidation; there were even pigs; but, in the end, the mission was successful. 
Michael of Milkwood Farm with his contribution to TEDxSydney 2013
How did they do it? With a lot of volunteers, a lot of vegetables, and — surprisingly — a lot of honeybees. And why? A year ago, a group of enterprising Sydney DIYers decided to throw a giant dinner party comprised of dishes cooked completely from “community-harvested” food — food sourced from people whose farms are on windowsills and balconies, in backyards and neighborhood blocks. The dinner served as the launch party for Grow it Local, an online community dedicated to mapping and supporting the non-traditional farms of Sydney’s citizens, allowing urban gardeners to add their “patches” to a giant collaborative map, and share advice and tips with one another.
Locally-grown goods take over TEDxSydney (Photo: TEDxSydney)
Remo Giuffre — the curator of TEDxSydney and an urban gardener himself — attended the dinner and decided that in 2013, TEDxSydney had to work with Grow it Local for something special. “As a local,” he said, “I was at that original dinner in 2012 … and I remember loving the cozy community vibe. It was my idea to try to bring that vibe to TEDxSydney 2013.”
Coffee. Hacking. Indonesia: 5 TEDx Talks on Java
When you hear “java,” you might think of the pesky window that pops up on your computer desktop every few months, begging you to close all browser windows so you can install vital security updates — or maybe your morning coffee, expertly brewed by your favorite neighborhood barista — or, an image even more lovely, the lush greens of Indonesia’s third largest island.
Whatever it is you’re thinking of — we’ve got a talk for you. So pour your cup of joe, save all tabs, and take a break from your vacation planning to watch these 5 TEDx talks in honor of the word java:
All your devices can be hacked: Avi Rubin at TEDxMidAtlantic
Lately reports have been popping up all over on a vulnerability in Sun Microsystem’s Java plug-in, which has prompted what PC Mag has called a “Java-based hacking spree.” Recent attacks have affected companies such as Facebok, Twitter and, now, Apple, prompting concern over who will be next and how these attacks will be stopped. Computer scientist Avi Rubin is no stranger to hacks, and at TEDxMidAtlantic, he explains how hackers are compromising cars, smartphones and medical devices, and warns us about the dangers of an increasingly hack-able world.
Hacking the city with fun: Irwan Ahmett at TEDxJakarta
Sometimes the smallest things make your day so much better. A funny road sign. Clever graffiti. Free cookies. Part-way through his career, artist Irwan Ahmett realized this and decided to run with it. Using spinning umbrellas, a human monorail, fruit baskets, and a secret lumberyard Internet cafe, he hacked his city, Java’s largest, with random acts of playfulness. At TEDxJakarta, he explains the story behind the hacks.
The human cost of food: Rebecca Scott at TEDxCanberra
Rebecca Scott wants you to know what goes into your morning coffee — and that’s not just how much cream or sugar you like. She says that when we buy a cup a coffee, we should think about more than just taste; but consider the treatment of the people behind the bean — the farmers, harvesters, packagers, and coffee shop employees involved in providing our caffeine fix. In this talk, she reveals some of the astounding stories behind the things we consume, and introduces her project, STREAT, an effort to create cafes and coffee shops staffed by homeless youth serving ethically-sourced food and drink.
