Feast Down East
Located In: Pender County
Counties Served: Bladen, Brunswick, Carteret, Columbus, Cumberland, Duplin, Edgecombe, New Hanover, Onslow, Pender, Sampson, Richmond, Wayne, and Halifax
Overview
Feast Down East is a nonprofit organization working to grow the local food system in Southeastern North Carolina. Our mission is to strengthen the farming communities in and around the Wilmington area by providing resources, education and distribution opportunities to farmers while addressing equitable food access in communities with the greatest need. The programs of Feast Down East include farmer support, produce distribution, and increasing food access for all consumers
Major Programs
Food as Medicine:
Novant Health prescription vouchers: Feast Down East distributes fresh produce vouchers, both directly and via healthcare partners, to individuals in the Cape Fear Region of North Carolina. Individuals are identified based on their health, food security status, dietary patterns and practices, demographics, and general well-being, who live in low-income areas experiencing socioeconomic and geographic challenges (i.e., limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables), can redeem their vouchers for fresh produce at our Local Motive Mobile Farmers’ Market (Mobile Market).
Community Food Access
Local Motive Mobile Farmers Market: Our Local Motive Mobile Farmers’ Market operates weekly, year-round, at local community centers, public housing neighborhoods and local businesses. The mobile market sells locally sourced foods through the Feast Down East Food Hub in Burgaw, NC. Anyone is welcome to shop at mobile market sites. Food can be purchased with SNAP/EBT, produce prescription vouchers, or debit/credit. See more about our Food as Medicine and Local Food Promotion work below.
FarmSHARE: Feast Down East participates in Carolina Farm Stewardship Association’s FarmSHARE program, sourcing locally-grown produce from small, sustainable farms and distributing it to those in need through our many community partnerships.
Food Relief Program: a grant-funded opportunity that creates a cost-free way for food-security organizations and agencies to feed the communities they serve with fresh, locally-grown healthy produce. Organizations place weekly orders for wholesale items from the Feast Down East Food Hub to support their feeding efforts. Agencies may also request vouchers that can be used at the Local Motive Mobile Farmers' Market.
Direct Sales
Local Motive Market: Our refrigerated mobile market sells locally sourced foods through the Feast Down East Food Hub in Burgaw, NC that is grown and raised from over 30 local farmers in a 50-mile radius! ANYONE is welcome to shop at mobile market sites.
Restaurant sales: Feast Down East regularly sells to several area restaurant customers. If you are a restaurant owner, grocer, or other locally-sourced institution and want to work with Feast Down East, please contact us.
Farmer Training
We are going to be rebooting the farmer training program through the farmer scholarship program, engagement coordinator and food safety planning - this is also part of our grant agreement with CFSA - LFPP. Our food hub offers assistance to farmers, in particular those with limited resources, through a variety of services. This includes connecting farmers to educational opportunities and technical support services. We offer classes and workshops to farmers throughout the year to help them become, or remain, financially stable, grow their business, and gain marketing skills.
Senior Food Programs
We have our senior voucher program at mobile markets + popup at senior centers/housing, and also targeted this population through our covid food distro programs.
Local Food Promotion
Fresh Bucks for SNAP/EBT customers: Our mobile farmers market accepts SNAP/EBT or food stamps. Our Fresh Bucks program doubles the value of SNAP/EBT – for each dollar a SNAP recipient withdraws from their account to spend on their purchase, they will be matched an additional dollar (up to a total of $20 Fresh Bucks).
Nutrition education and recipes: The Local Motive Mobile Farmers Market also offers educational resources, recipes, taste testing, cooking demonstrations and health-based education to the wider community.
