Ending Hunger in America, 2014 Hunger Report Full Report | Page 152

The most important step runs parallel to the assessment and analysis: Thornberry leads
members of the community in what’s called a FEAST, a facilitated discussion about Food,
Education and Agriculture in their community, and they begin to work toward Solutions
Together.47 Groups who participate in the FEAST range in size from as little as a dozen to
several dozen. Thornberry is strictly a facilitator. She offers feedback but doesn’t tell participants what their solutions in their communities should be. Nothing that is decided will
be sustainable unless it is locally driven and owned by members of the community. The
ultimate goal is to build a healthier, more equitable, and more resilient local food system.48
At the end of the FEAST, they define what their specific goals are and discuss how they plan
to implement them. Thornberry’s work is basically done. Now it’s up to members of the
community to follow through.
FEASTs have produced many and varied results. Some examples are: the establishment
of gleaning programs, farmers markets, and/or community gardens; farm-to-school partnerships between local farmers and rural school districts; new partnerships between food donors
and emergency food providers; and the formation of coalitions to carry forward communitybased food system projects.49 Here is what some participants have said about the FEAST
they participated in: Jan Neilson, a farmer in Sweet Home, says, “We developed a larger community base with resources to actually get things done.” Emily Ritchie, the farm to school
coordinator in Tillamook, says, “We’re moving forward on issues that will hugely impact our
community.” Dawn Jensen Nobile, a nutrition therapist from Albany, says, “I was inspired to
find more ways to participate in schools, community, and neighborhood. The network being
built via this effort is a source of strength and comfort.”50 Rural food deserts aren’t turning
into oases overnight, but the FEASTS are making it possible for people to find more of the
foods they want without having to drive long distances.

Courtesy Sharon Thornberry

Sharon Thornberry and colleague Megan Newell-Ching lead the Oregon Food Bank’s work on community food systems.

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