FEAST
FEAST is a Horizon Europe project which Cork City Council, on behalf of the Cork Food Policy Council partnership, is using to co-create a sustainable, equitable and healthy food strategy for the city; identifying access and support gaps for urban food growing; plus trialing a ‘Living Lab’ intended to inform a future ‘food hub’ facility.
The project has developed an innovative hybrid model that reflect the shared experiences from the city's unique network of community gardens plus the mindset of professional market gardens. This is centred on the Rosehill Community Market Garden in Donnybrook where the strategy is being put into action and tested.
This offers space for skilled community gardeners to upscale, network and train with aspiring market gardeners while exploring innovative selling opportunities to local retail, restaurant and catering business - generating income for employment seekers and more affordable healthy food for local communities.
The project is also working directly with selected local retailers and restaurants to supply fresh, chemical-free, nutrient rich produce and is addressing waste prevention and circularity through a one-year pilot to build a case study for training food businesses to work with local producers on operating localised compost loops.
The design process is bottom up and based on consultation workshops with local small farmers, land owners and horticulture students in cooperation with UCC's School of Public Health.
FEAST project website: