We are much more likely to choose healthy food if we help prepare it.
We empower youth and families to grow, prepare, and enjoy fruits and vegetables through hands-on cooking and garden education.
We empower youth and families to grow, prepare, and enjoy fruits and vegetables through hands-on cooking and garden education.
FEAST classes focus on:
- Problem-solving, communication, and teamwork.
- Increasing fresh, locally grown produce in everyday living.
- Gaining confidence by exploring different ways to grow and prepare fresh produce.
- Creating and changing recipes and substituting ingredients.
- Learning how food and the environment affects the brain and body.
- Connecting to Core Curriculum and Essential Standards in math, reading, writing, science, health, and nutrition.
SCHOOL BASED PROGRAMS
school based programs
Lucy S. Herring Elementary Peace Garden – The Herring Peace Garden is an outdoor learning laboratory designed to educate the whole child and community through hands-on learning that promotes environmental stewardship, character development, and healthy lifestyles. Every grade level participates in gardening and cooking classes on a regular basis, each with its own plot in the garden to tend to and harvest both learning and food from.
Hall Fletcher FEAST Garden – The Hall Fletcher Elementary/FEAST Garden and Cooking Program’s mission is to promote healthy eating choices and make them accessible to people, while also fostering excitement about nature and our local ecosystems in our students. Our cooking and gardening classes work right alongside the Common Core curriculum, with hands-on, interactive units ensuring our students excel beyond just earning their green thumbs! We are deeply committed to encouraging a healthy and vibrant community, for our students and families, both during and beyond their time at Hall Fletcher Elementary.
Francine Delany New School for Children – We began our program at Francine Delany New School for Children in the spring of 2014. We now work with all students, kindergarten through 8th grade. We have learned about all kinds of new foods, including lots of fresh vegetables. We have special gardens all over the FDNSC campus, including a Kinder-Garden, a Folk Art Garden, a pollinator garden for Monarch Butterflies, and many other small plantings outside different classrooms. We are with the students once a week and are able to connect the food and gardening lessons back to the classroom. Our students are so excited each week for FEAST class and have opened their minds to tasting and trying new things.
Hot Springs Elementary School – In 2019, we began working with Hot Springs Elementary School to reclaim their garden which had become overgrown, and implement a garden maintenance plan as well as FEAST programming for the school. HSES garden is committed to supporting the health and nutrition of our school families and the wider community. All produce is available for families and/or donated to community food distribution efforts.
Hall Fletcher FEAST Garden – The Hall Fletcher Elementary/FEAST Garden and Cooking Program’s mission is to promote healthy eating choices and make them accessible to people, while also fostering excitement about nature and our local ecosystems in our students. Our cooking and gardening classes work right alongside the Common Core curriculum, with hands-on, interactive units ensuring our students excel beyond just earning their green thumbs! We are deeply committed to encouraging a healthy and vibrant community, for our students and families, both during and beyond their time at Hall Fletcher Elementary.
Francine Delany New School for Children – We began our program at Francine Delany New School for Children in the spring of 2014. We now work with all students, kindergarten through 8th grade. We have learned about all kinds of new foods, including lots of fresh vegetables. We have special gardens all over the FDNSC campus, including a Kinder-Garden, a Folk Art Garden, a pollinator garden for Monarch Butterflies, and many other small plantings outside different classrooms. We are with the students once a week and are able to connect the food and gardening lessons back to the classroom. Our students are so excited each week for FEAST class and have opened their minds to tasting and trying new things.
Hot Springs Elementary School – In 2019, we began working with Hot Springs Elementary School to reclaim their garden which had become overgrown, and implement a garden maintenance plan as well as FEAST programming for the school. HSES garden is committed to supporting the health and nutrition of our school families and the wider community. All produce is available for families and/or donated to community food distribution efforts.
AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS
AFTER SCHOOL BASED PROGRAMS
Claxton After School Arts – Students create simple meals or snacks using fresh local produce. This program is focused on the basics of cooking with students from kindergarten to 2nd grade.
YMCA New Horizons – The YMCA Horizon program closely partners with Buncombe County Schools to serve hundreds of middle school students and families. The after-school sites operate from October to May every Wednesday and Thursday when school is in session. The 2022–23 programs will take place at Reynolds Middle, Eblen Intermediate, Enka Intermediate, and Koontz Intermediate.
Youth Transformed for Life – YTL training supports disenfranchised communities as they strive to succeed in an inequitable system. Our cooking classes meet weekly on Mondays and focus on preparing healthy meals and snacks with fresh, local produce.
YMCA New Horizons – The YMCA Horizon program closely partners with Buncombe County Schools to serve hundreds of middle school students and families. The after-school sites operate from October to May every Wednesday and Thursday when school is in session. The 2022–23 programs will take place at Reynolds Middle, Eblen Intermediate, Enka Intermediate, and Koontz Intermediate.
Youth Transformed for Life – YTL training supports disenfranchised communities as they strive to succeed in an inequitable system. Our cooking classes meet weekly on Mondays and focus on preparing healthy meals and snacks with fresh, local produce.
COMMUNITY COLLABORATORS
COMMUNITY COLLABORATORS
Mother Earth Food emerged in 2012 out of a desire to make it easier to eat local, organic food from our neighbors who are producing it. They are a family-owned, year-round delivery service of primarily local & organically grown produce and edibles sourced from area farms and food crafters. They make it simple and affordable to eat fresh and healthy local food by delivering bins to your front door. Mother Earth has been supporting our cooking and garden education classes by donating fresh produce on a weekly basis.
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The Community Foundation of WNC has a long history of investing in our community and partnering with programs and organizations that share our focus to improve the health and well-being of the people we serve. In 2021, the Human Services grant was awarded to Bountiful Cities to support the Hot Springs Elementary Garden Expansion Project.
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The United Way of Asheville and Buncombe stands committed to reducing the impact that poverty has on the lives of children, families, and communities in Asheville and Buncombe County. We are dedicated to co-creating a community where ALL our neighbors share equal access to the resources necessary to attain the education, financial stability, and health needed to thrive.
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