1015: Building Community Food Resilience with Kathy Cleary

In this Episode Cathy Cleary, co-director of Asheville-based nonprofit Bountiful Cities, joins Greg Peterson to explore how urban agriculture, food education, and community food sharing can strengthen local food systems. From free Share Markets and school gardening programs to community food hubs and public food forests, Cathy describes how growing food together builds resilience, connection, and food sovereignty. She shares lessons from Hurricane Helene, the importance of teaching children where food comes from, and why every community needs greater access to fresh, locally grown food. Her message is simple: growing food is one of the most rewarding ways we can care for ourselves and each other. Our Guest: Cathy Cleary is the co-director for the Asheville-based nonprofit, Bountiful Cities, where she advocates for fresh food access, long-term food security through agriculture, education, community-based food hubs, and share markets. She has seen firsthand how urban agriculture can equal food security, and how food sovereignty can equal community resilience in the face of climate change. Cathy has a background in the restaurant industry as co-founder of West End Bakery in West Asheville, and has served as a volunteer for many food organizations over the past 30 years. She sees food as a connector, and envisions a world where there is equitable access for fresh food for all. Key Topics Bountiful Cities — Asheville nonprofit with the mission of growing food and building community. Cathy Cleary — Community food advocate, former bakery owner, and urban agriculture educator. Food sovereignty — Communities having the resources and ability to grow, access, and provide their own food. Urban agriculture — Growing food within cities to improve food access, community resilience, and neighborhood connections. Share Markets — Free food-sharing events where community members can give and receive fresh produce, bread, seeds, and gardening resources. FEAST Program — Comprehensive cooking and gardening education program embedded in public schools. Pearson Food Hub — Bountiful Cities' flagship garden, greenhouse, seedling production, food aggregation, and distribution center. Community food resilience — Building neighborhood food resources and relationships that help communities respond to emergencies and disruptions. Hurricane Helene — Demonstrated the importance of local food production and neighbors sharing resources when infrastructure fails. Garden Network — Free gardening workshops, potlucks, garden tours, and opportunities for gardeners to share knowledge. Asheville Edibles — City partnership supporting food-producing plants in public spaces and community food forests. Edible Schoolyard — Educational resource for cooking and gardening programs in schools. Utopian Seed Project — Partner in Asheville's community seed swap. Serviceberry — Robin Wall Kimmerer's book exploring reciprocity, plants, and human community. Key Questions 1. What is Bountiful Cities' mission? Bountiful Cities' mission is growing food and building community. The Asheville nonprofit works to improve access to fresh food through urban agriculture, community gardens, food education, and food-sharing programs. 2. What is a Share Market, and how does it work? A Share Market is a free food-sharing event that resembles a farmers market. Anyone can bring food to share, and anyone can take what they need. The markets offer fresh produce, bread, pastries, seeds, plants, and gardening information. The emphasis is on reciprocity rather than charity. 3. How did Hurricane Helene demonstrate the importance of local food systems? When Hurricane Helene disrupted electricity, water, roads, and transportation throughout the Asheville region, communities experienced firsthand how vulnerable their food supplies could be. Neighbors shared meals, prepared food before it spoiled, and helped one another. The experience reinforced the importance of growing food close to home. 4. What does the FEAST program teach children? FEAST provides comprehensive cooking and gardening education in public schools. Students learn how to grow food, prepare meals, understand natural systems, and connect with the environment. Children frequently bring home vegetables, recipes, and plants, sharing what they learn with their families. 5. How can gardening help children become more interested in eating vegetables? When children participate in growing and preparing food, they become more curious about eating it. Cathy describes parents being surprised when children who previously refused certain vegetables begin eating foods they harvested themselves. 6. What is the Pearson Food Hub? The Pearson Food Hub is Bountiful Cities' flagship garden, established in 2003. It includes a greenhouse, orchard, vegetable gardens, walk-in cooler, and pavilion. It produces seedlings for school and community gardens and collects produce from gardens around Asheville for distribution through Share Markets. 7. How does the Garden Network help local gardeners? The Garden Network provides free seasonal workshops, potlucks, garden tours, and community meetups. It encourages gardeners of all experience levels to exchange practical knowledge and learn from one another. 8. How is Asheville incorporating food production into public spaces? Through a local food policy action plan passed in 2011, a percentage of new city plantings must include food-producing plants. Bountiful Cities helps maintain these plantings, organizes volunteers, supports food forests, and maintains an Asheville Edibles map. 9. What fundraising challenge has Cathy faced as a nonprofit leader? Cathy explains that nonprofits can feel pressured to pursue new, exciting projects simply because funders are interested in them. She has learned the importance of staying connected to the organization's mission, listening to community needs, and maintaining integrity rather than constantly changing direction to secure funding. 10. Why does Cathy consider the FEAST program one of her greatest successes? Education creates lasting change across generations. Children learn skills that may no longer be passed down through families, including growing food, cooking, saving seeds, composting, and caring for soil. They then take those lessons home and influence their families. 11. What motivates Cathy to work toward food sovereignty? Cathy grew up in a family where fresh food, home cooking, and gardening were part of everyday life. She believes everyone deserves access to nutritious food and the resources to grow for themselves. Her motivation comes from caring about people and imagining a world where everyone has what they need. 12. What book does Cathy recommend, and what advice does she offer new gardeners? Cathy recommends The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer because it explores the interconnectedness of people, plants, and community. Her advice to new gardeners is to start growing something, even if it is just herbs in a pot or a houseplant on a windowsill. Highlights Cathy shares how growing up in a family garden and learning to cook and bake inspired her to open West End Bakery, which she operated with her business partner for 15 years. A visit to Italy as a Slow Food delegate in 2008 inspired Cathy to help create FEAST, a comprehensive cooking and gardening education program in public schools. Bountiful Cities helped historically Black Asheville neighborhoods rebuild community gardening opportunities after urban renewal disrupted their agricultural traditions. Cathy describes Share Markets, where anyone can give or receive free food, creating a community based on reciprocity rather than charity. Hurricane Helene revealed how vulnerable communities can be when transportation, electricity, and water systems fail—and how neighbors can become an essential source of food and support. FEAST students are bringing home vegetables, recipes, and gardening knowledge, sometimes taking responsibility for preparing their family's Thanksgiving meals. The Pearson Food Hub brings together greenhouse production, community gardens, produce aggregation, and food distribution to support Asheville's local food network. Cathy discusses the importance of staying true to an organization's mission instead of chasing funding for projects that may not serve the community. Resources Bountiful Cities: https://bountifulcities.org — Explore programs, educational resources, community gardens, and donation opportunities. Urban Farm Podcast Show Notes: https://urbanfarm.org/bountifulcities — Visit the episode page for additional information. Edible Schoolyard: https://edibleschoolyard.org — Resources and inspiration for cooking and gardening education in schools. Bountiful Cities Facebook and Instagram: Search for Bountiful Cities for educational resources, program updates, and community garden photos. The Serviceberry: Robin Wall Kimmerer's book exploring reciprocity, interconnectedness, and the relationship between people and the natural world. Get involved locally: Find a community garden, support a local food organization, volunteer at a Share Market, or start growing food in your own neighborhood. Visit https://urbanfarm.org/bountifulcities for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library! 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