By Alexandra Golder
Intern
With the goal of improving eating habits, the University North Carolina Wilmington invited students and members of the public to participate in Food Day on Friday, Oct. 23.
The free event was part of a nationwide movement to focus more attention on healthy, affordable and sustainable food. With the theme of Toward a Greener Diet, the events featured several education workshops and a sustainable food fair at the college’s amphitheater.
Workshops focused on topics such as establishing healthy eating habits, listening to the body, eating well on a budget and examining the implications of modern agricultural practices. The fair included kale eating and cooking competitions, free vegetable plants, raffle prizes and more, all aimed at building awareness of and support for a healthy food environment, organizers said.
Booths from local businesses and associations featured resources and educational information. Attendees heard comments from UNCW Chancellor Jose Sartarelli, Wilmington Mayor Pro-Tem Margaret Haynes and New Hanover County Commission Chairman Jonathan Barfield Jr.
The event was organized by Feast Down East, which was established in 2006 to bring public and private agencies together to create a food system that supports local farmers. The organization, also known as the Southeastern North Carolina Food Systems Program, works to increase sales of local farm products by encouraging the public to buy local, helping expand farm ownership opportunity and enabling farmers with limited resources to grow profits and employment.
In celebration of Food Day, local restaurants offered specials throughout the weekend. Feast Down East posted daily Food Day Challenges from Oct. 19-23 to encourage healthy eating, promote local food and spread the word about Food Day. Posts from this year’s Food Day can be found on the Food Day Wilmington 2015 Facebook page.
One participant was Valerie Robertson, the founder of Cape Fear’s Going Green, a quarterly publication promoting eco-friendly resources and lifestyles in the Lower Cape Fear River Basin. Robertson said she sets up a booth during Food Day every year and is a supporter of all Feast Down East programs.
Stephanna Tewey, president of the Coastal Carolina Chapter of the United Nations Association of the USA, said she comes to Food Day every year in order to draw attention to the fact that this movement is a global, not just local, issue.
The outdoor activities at Food Day were solar powered by Clean Energy Events, which offered its services for free. While most locations around the country held official Food Day activities on Oct. 24, UNCW held the event a day earlier to allow for more student participation.
