Leland Harmell has an abundance of balls in the air. He’s a passionate entrepreneur, attentive father, deliveryman, promoter, planner, and health advocate all the while wearing a mantle of egalitarian sustainability.
It wasn’t long ago when Harmell weighed nearly 250 pounds and fueled his body with high doses of sugar, caffeine, cigarettes and alcohol. Working long hours in a restaurant was also part of his life equation. One day he was released from work. In that moment, he decided there was a better way to live. Harmell opted for going cold turkey on the numerous addictive substances. He wanted to change his life and knew food was the best route. Today he runs Rawk Star Creations, a business making well being infused food, as well as spreading his wings in other businesses and projects.
Rawk Star Creations, now 2-years-old, provides organically inspired, health conscious prepared foods. For example, the hefty cilantro lime walnut burrito wraps a vivid collard green around a ‘meaty’ mixture of walnuts and cashews with south-of-the border seasonings. There’s plenty of robust cabbage slaw. The burrito manages to roll up all the elements of sweet, crunchy, tangy, and chewy into every bite. Rawk Star Creations are raw, vegan, non-gluten, and locally sourced with mostly organic ingredients.
And there’s love in every bite. (Check out the labels.) The sage garden burger is another avenue to experience delicious, nutrient dense food with nary a lick of added sugar. Hoping for dessert? The Raw Avo Cacao Pudding, also without added sugars, will keep your spoon dipping until the last bit disappears.
Another unique offering of Rawk Star Creations is water kefir. They are the only producer in the Pacific Northwest. Maybe you are familiar with kefir, a fermented dairy drink. There’s also Kombucha, another fermented drink made with tea. Water kefir is also packed with probiotics but it’s non-dairy and has no caffeine. It contains a small amount of sugar because that’s how the yeast grows. Rawk Star uses rapadura sugar from Brazil. The molasses is intact adding taste and nutrients. It does not contain chemicals or anti-caking agents. Enjoy the flavors of grapefruit, cucumber, green apple and guava.
Harmell has been instrumental in organizing the Good Karma Kitchen in Tumwater, where the food and beverages are produced. The cooperative kitchen is utilized by other small business such as Smiling Mo’s Bakery, Covabrelli Coffee, and Rainbow Cloud Kombucha. Many emerging food businesses are not in a financial position to rent a private space. Sharing spaces can allow manageable rental rates. Owners can spend more money on products, project development and equipment.
Harmell aligns his beliefs with the community kitchen. “We want to see success,” stresses Harmell meaning more people, owning their own businesses, utilizing local resources and prospering together.
The mission of Rawk Star Creations is to feed the world and keep it simple. They endeavor to “empower the health of all through simple creation.” Harmell is inspired by his two children, daughter Blueberry and son Cerulean. His wife and co-inspirer is Sydney, who also works in the business. They are expecting a baby – all the more reason to live healthfully. Harmell offered three tips for improving your health: “Shop only at the Olympia Food Co-Op. Eat organically. Eat locally.”
Looking for Rawk Star Creations? They are available at the Olympia Farmers Market, West Olympia Farmers Market, Tumwater Town Center Farmers Market, Yelm Farmers Market, Chehalis, Centralia, Tenino Farmers Market and Providence St. Peter Hospital. Check out their Facebook page for news and updates.
I’m inclined to agree with Harmell who said, “Food is it’s own religion.” To me that means people have strong beliefs around food, as well as experiences and rituals. We also both believe that food is medicine. It’s important to me to eat the best tasting, healthful food that is available. I do the bulk of my own preparing and cooking. What a joy to find alternatives that fully support my beliefs AND taste good. The world is made a better place with people of generous spirit.
Thanks, Leland, for being an example of loving, learning and eating well. According to Leland, “Raw love is unstoppable.”
Eat Well – Be Well
