Crawford County FEAST Addresses Local Concerns

On Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2015, Eat Well Crawford County hosted a FEAST (Food Education Agriculture Solutions Together) event in Pittsburg, Kan. The event centered on improving the community’s food system and healthy eating behaviors through increased access to healthy, affordable foods, as well as creating a food environment that encourages healthy behavior.

The event included a panel featuring members of the local food system and presentations from New Venture Advisors, a business development firm which conducted interviews and research into the local food system. Attendees enjoyed a meal made from locally sourced ingredients while participating in group sessions which focused on the vision for Crawford County’s food system.

Participants represented all areas of the food system, including: production, processing, distribution, consumption and waste. CECD’s Myles Alexander and Kolia Souza were among the participants.

“The basic FEAST model works in many contexts,” said Alexander. “Many Crawford County participants remarked how good it was for the variety of people to come together and explore their local food system and set priorities together.”

“I think the main takeaway from the Crawford County FEAST event was to understand the local food system from both a supply and demand standpoint,” said Souza. “How do we improve supply channels and create healthy demand? We figure out how to strategize and mobilize around those concepts.”

Eat Well Crawford County is a nonprofit organization working to improve Crawford County’s food system, increase access to healthy affordable food, and help make the healthy choices easier for the people of Crawford County. Eat Well Crawford County is a partner of Live Well Crawford County.

For more information visit: https://www.facebook.com/LiveWellCrawfordCounty