This Saturday, Oct. 6, come learn to the Columbus Farm Festival to learn about Fresh, Easy, Affordable, Sustainable and Tasty (FEAST), a slow foods-related program based in Asheville and coming to classrooms and workshops near you. FEAST empowers school age children to make healthy eating decisions through free cooking classes.
FEAST is a hands-on group cooking experience using fresh, seasonal, local ingredients which focus on cooking skills and creating healthy eating habits. Classes cook and eat food that is Fresh, Easy, Affordable, Sustainable and Tasty while focusing on:
• Problem solving in the kitchen
• Increasing fresh produce in everyday eating
• Gaining confidence in the kitchen
• Exploring different ways to prepare fresh produce
• Creating and changing recipes, substituting ingredients
• Learning about locally grown produce
• Working together in the kitchen
• Learning how food affects your brain and body
• Using math and science skills in the kitchen
FEAST has had a constant presence for four years at Asheville Middle School. FEAST coordinators work with one particular teacher who is inspired to maintain a partnership with the program.
Between FEAST and the school they get produce donated weekly through Mother Earth Produce, an Asheville-area business similar to Manna Cabanna in Polk County, delivering fresh organic veggies and fruits from local farms in the area straight to your door.  Farms and local small distribution outlets like these make it their goal to make organic and sustainably grown local produce accessible and convenient to everyone in the community.
Thanks to these type of donations, FEAST middle school classes last spring created stir fry with asparagus, kale, green onions and ramps, strawberry and tangerine fruit parfaits, rainbow carrot taste test and pizzas with kale pesto and fresh veggies.
Slow Food Foothills is working to help develop a similar partnership by continuing the FEAST program or something similar through our Slow Food in Schools project, chaired by Barbara Raymond, Saluda resident, mother of two and lifelong organic grower. Development is under way now for a hopeful spring partnership with any school in Polk County or Landrum willing to help bring fresh farm food into the classroom.
Other ways FEAST remains sponsored is through individual businesses or organizations and fundraising. Recently an Asheville Health Coach sponsored an adult-targeted evening FEAST class at the Center for Holistic Medicine. The theme was “Give Me a Boost! Eating for Immunity.” Participants discovered the top 10 foods to eat for boosting your immune system through simple and easy cooking tips using seasonal foods.
Sponsored courses have inexpensive suggested donations (such as $5 to $10), while courses offered solely by FEAST as fundraisers range closer to $25.  One such popular class is the homemade sushi class, in which you learn the proper way to prepare rice, sushi vegetables, smoked fish and tempeh. Then practice and hone your skills at rolling them all together into a sushi roll. Another fun class is homemade pizza with dough from scratch.
Please contact Slow Food Foothills, info@slowfoodfoothills.org, if you want to help be a part of this life-changing partnership for our students, our children. People are more likely to learn to eat for a healthy life when they’ve learned about locally grown and how to prepare meals. Culinary adventures that begin on the farm offer remarkable taste and healthful living.
FEAST will have a booth at the Columbus Farm Festival from 9 – 2 p.m. this Saturday, Oct. 6 in downtown Columbus.

by Carol Lynn Jackson, In Good Taste column