FE AST DOWN E AST
IT’S strange to think that, with all of the technological advancements we have in the 21st century, farmers
often lack the logistics and resources to efficiently distribute produce to their local communities. It’s also
strange to think that people who live in low-income farming communities can have difficulty affording
fresh vegetables that are grown just down the street.
Unfortunately, those are realities facing people in New Hanover and surrounding counties. Feast Down East,
a nonprofit based in Burgaw in Pender County, was created to tackle the problem.
The organization, founded in 2006 by University of North Carolina Wilmington sociology professor Leslie
Hossfeld and Rev. Mac Legerton of the Community Center for Action in Lumberton, was established to help
alleviate poverty
among rural, small-to
mid-size farmers,
particularly ones
transitioning from
tobacco to vegetable
farming.
For the past 14
years, the organiza-tion
— originally
known as the South-eastern
North Caro-lina
Food Systems
Project — has grown
its network of part-nerships
with farmers
and counties, along
with its extensive
community outreach
programs.
Feast Down East
distributes fresh
local produce
through its Farm-to-
Fork Community
Supported Agricul-ture
Boxes, March
through August.
MISSION OF
TO AID LOCAL
FA R M I N G
COMMUNITIES
FIGHTING POVERTY WITH
FARM-TO-FORK AGRIBUSINESS
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WBM february 2021
By Peter Viele
PHOTOS BY COLLEEN WORRELL