2025 Community FEaST
Wednesday, October 8, 2025, from 4:30-6:00 p.m.
Sanford Mall, Appalachian State University
BOONE, N.C. — AppalFRESH, the Appalachian Food Research for Equity, Sustainability, and Health Collaborative, invites students, faculty, staff, and community members to join around the table to enjoy free food, live music, and conversations about the importance of a resilient, equitable food system during the 2025 Community FEaST (Food Engagement and Story Telling). The event is scheduled for Wednesday, October 8, 2025, from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. on Sanford Mall at Appalachian State University's Boone campus.
Following the cancellation of the 2024 Community FEaST due to Hurricane Helene, the theme of this year's FEaST is Appalachian Resilience.
FEaST co-organizer Carla Ramsdell, practitioner-in-residence in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and sustainability liaison for the College of Arts and Sciences, explained, "Watching our Appalachian community recover from Hurricane Helene deepened our appreciation for the incredible resilience of our neighbors. In the days following the storm, skills like self-provisioning and maintaining backup food and water supplies proved essential. But more than that, the willingness of people to step up and help one another was truly inspiring. This year, we’re proud to celebrate that strength, self-reliance, and the unshakable spirit that brings us together."
To minimize waste, attendees are asked to bring their own plates, utensils and water bottles. App State Sustainability and Energy Management invites attendees to visit their table at the FEaST for a free, reusable utensil and bandana bundle. Quantities are limited, so stop by early.
Additionally, attendees can support the App State community by bringing non-perishable goods to this year's FEaST for Sustainability and Energy Management's Mountaineer Food Hub and Free Store and Campus Food Pantry Network.
Community organizations working in the sustainable food space are invited to set up a table on Sanford Mall during the FEaST. For more information, contact Ramsdell at ramsdellcs@appstate.edu.
AppalFRESH is seeking individuals and organizations to assist with the event. To volunteer, submit this form.
Community FEaST is sponsored by the following organizations:
For more information, visit rieee.appstate.edu/news/community-feast.
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About Sustainability and Energy Management at App State
Appalachian State University’s leadership in sustainability is known nationally. The university’s holistic, three-branched approach considers sustainability economically, environmentally and equitably in relationship to the planet’s co-inhabitants. The university is an active steward of the state’s interconnected financial, cultural and natural resources and challenges students and others think critically and creatively about sustainability and what it means from the smallest individual action to the most broad-based applications. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate academic degree programs that focus on sustainability. In addition, 100 percent of Appalachian’s academic departments offer at least one sustainability course or course that includes sustainability, and all students graduate from programs that have adopted at least one sustainability learning outcome. Learn more at appstate.edu/sustainability.
Students gather around the table on Sanford Mall during the 2023 Community FEaST. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Students gather around the table on Sanford Mall during the 2023 Community FEaST. Photo by Chase Reynolds