Thursday, November 03, 2011

Wilmington, N.C. - Children enrolled in the Friends Food and Fun After-School Program at the WHA-UNCW Community Campus, located in Wilmington Housing Authority's Hillcrest community, will enjoy a Fall Festival 3-5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4 in celebration of their community garden. The community is invited to join the celebration at the garden, located at 1402 Meares St.

The Friends Food and Fun program is sponsored by Feast Down East, an area nonprofit focused on developing the local food movement. Local chefs, local farmers and community members volunteer weekly to teach the children of Hillcrest how to grow seedlings, develop a garden, and cook healthy meals from the garden.

This year, children planted carrots, zucchini, bok choy, cucumbers and collards. Local chefs Antwain Dennis and June Tillman helped the children cook with the garden ingredients. Soil, seeds and starts were donated by Seaside Mulch, Progressive Gardens and New Hanover County Cooperative Extension. The Friday event will incorporate lessons from the program and is an opportunity for parents, grandparents and other community members to celebrate and enjoy the growth of their community garden.

Media contact:
Joy Davis, UNCW media relations, 910.632.3903 or davisjc@uncw.edu

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WHA-UNCW Community Campus at Hillcrest is a unique partnership between the Wilmington Housing Authority (WHA) and the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Established in 2008, the partnership provides opportunity for UNCW students and faculty to complete relevant research and service-learning experiences while providing programs and events for all public housing neighborhoods. For more information: http://uncw.edu/dpscs/communitycampus.html.

UNCW is the lead agent for Feast DownEast, also known as the Southeastern North Carolina Food Systems Program (SENCFS), was established in early 2007 in order to join public and private agencies together to create a local and regional food system that supports local farmers; increases the sales of local farm products; educates consumers and the public on the importance of 'buying local'; and sustains and expands farm employment, profit, and ownership, particularly among limited resource farmers. For more information: www.feastdowneast.org.