SOL EAST
Feast Down East is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a USDA-certified Food Hub, CSA Box Program, Mobile Farmers' Market, and Food Rx program in Southeastern North Carolina, connecting local small farmers with wholesale buyers, consumers, and food-insecure communities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersBurgaw, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What SOL EAST does
Feast Down East, Inc. (operating as Feast Down East and SOL EAST) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2006 as the Southeastern North Carolina Food Systems Program (SENCFSP) at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and formally incorporated as an independent nonprofit in 2010. Headquartered in Burgaw, NC with a secondary office in Wilmington, the organization operates a USDA and GAP certified Food Hub out of the historic train depot at 115 S. Dickerson St., providing aggregation and wholesale distribution of local produce, meats, eggs, and value-added products from small-to-medium-scale farmers within a 100-mile radius.
The organization runs four interlocking program lines: (1) an Online Wholesale Marketplace that opens for ordering every Friday at 3pm and closes Monday at noon, connecting farms to restaurants, grocers, and institutions with delivery across most of New Hanover County; (2) a CSA Box Program offered in Full (6–8 items) and Half (3–5 items) Box tiers across 6- and 10-week durations with Egg and Meat add-on subscriptions, capped at 100 spots; (3) the Local Motive Mobile Farmers' Market that brings fresh produce into food-insecure communities while accepting SNAP/Food Stamps and Fresh Bucks; and (4) the Food Rx program operated in partnership with Novant Health, in which providers issue produce prescriptions channeled through the Mobile Market.
Feast Down East is funded through a diversified mix of foundation grants (Blue Cross NC Foundation, Duke Energy Foundation, Golden LEAF Foundation, New Hanover Community Endowment, United Way of the Lower Cape Fear, among others), corporate sponsorships, individual donations, and program fees from CSA subscriptions, wholesale transactions, and Mobile Market sales. It is governed by an independent Board of Directors (chaired by Grace North), is not venture-backed, and holds the GuideStar Platinum Seal of transparency. The current leadership team is led by Executive Director Jordyn Appel-Hughes, with a staff of approximately 10 organized across Food Hub operations, Mobile Market coordination, development/fundraising, marketing, and farmer engagement.
SOL EAST firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SOL EAST
- Legal name
- Feast Down East, Inc.
- Website
- https://feastdowneast.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Feast Down East is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a USDA-certified Food Hub, CSA Box Program, Mobile Farmers' Market, and Food Rx program in Southeastern North Carolina, connecting local small farmers with wholesale buyers, consumers, and food-insecure communities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SOL EAST industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Local Food Hub Distribution
- NAICS
- Community Food Services (62421), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529), Food Service Contractors (72231)
- SIC
- Retail-Food Stores (5400)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Farm-to-Consumer Produce Boxes / CSA Delivery (AFAIANAC)
Keywords
Where SOL EAST is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Burgaw
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
SOL EAST business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Wholesale Food Sales: Revenue generated from selling local farm products to restaurants, grocers, and institutions through the Food Hub's Online Marketplace. Farmers receive payment while FDE takes a margin on transactions.
- CSA Box Subscriptions: Community Supported Agriculture program offering weekly box subscriptions of local produce. Customers pay upfront for seasonal produce delivery.
- Donations and Grants: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Feast Down East relies on donations and grant funding from foundations and corporate sponsors to support operations and programs.
- Mobile Market Sales: Direct produce sales through the Local Motive Mobile Farmers' Market in food-insecure communities, accepting SNAP/Food Stamps and Fresh Bucks.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Full Box 10-week subscription |
| Subscription | Annual | Half Box 10-week subscription |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Full Box 6-week subscription |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Half Box 6-week subscription |
| Subscription | Annual | Egg Add-on Subscription (10 week) |
| Subscription | Annual | Meat Add-on Subscription (10 week) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
SOL EAST product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Feast Down East is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates a USDA and GAP certified regional Food Hub providing wholesale aggregation and distribution of local produce to restaurants, grocers, and institutions via an Online Wholesale Marketplace. It supplements this with a CSA Box subscription program for individual consumers, the Local Motive Mobile Farmers' Market serving food-insecure communities, the Food Rx produce prescription program with Novant Health, and the Farmers Fighting Hunger emergency relief program. The combination supports both small-to-mid-sized local farmers and consumers across Southeastern North Carolina.
Product overview
Feast Down East is a nonprofit organization that operates several interconnected food access and agricultural support programs. The core offering consists of a USDA and GAP certified Food Hub for wholesale aggregation and distribution, paired with an Online Wholesale Marketplace enabling real-time ordering between farmers and customers. The company also operates a Local Motive Mobile Farmers' Market bringing fresh produce to food-insecure communities, supported by a Food Rx Program (partnered with Novant Health) and Farmers Fighting Hunger emergency relief. The CSA Box Program provides direct-to-consumer weekly produce subscriptions. These programs work together to support local farmers while increasing access to affordable, seasonal food in Southeastern North Carolina.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Food Hub: USDA and GAP certified food hub operating out of the historic train depot in Burgaw, NC, offering marketing, aggregation, and wholesale distribution of local produce
- Local Motive Mobile Farmers' Market
- Farmers Fighting Hunger
- Food Rx Program
Products and services
- Food Hub USDA and GAP certified aggregation and wholesale distribution center in Burgaw, NC that helps local small-to-medium-scale and limited-resource farmers access increased market opportunities year-round by aggregating produce for restaurants, grocers, and institutions.
- Online Wholesale Marketplace Digital platform that bridges local farmers and wholesale customers, with real-time inventory management and ordering for fresh local produce, meats, eggs, and value-added products; ordering opens at 3pm every Friday and closes at noon Monday, with delivery to most of New Hanover County and 10% pickup discount at the Food Hub.
- CSA Box Program Community Supported Agriculture subscription service offering weekly boxes of local produce in Full Box (6-8 items) and Half Box (3-5 items) tiers, with optional egg and meat add-ons, available on 10-week and 6-week terms and pickup at partner locations across Burgaw, Wilmington, Leland, and Surf City.
- Local Motive Mobile Farmers' Market Mobile market that sells fresh local produce at reduced cost in vulnerable communities and food access challenge areas across Southeastern North Carolina, accepting SNAP/Food Stamps and Fresh Bucks.
- Food Rx Program Food prescription program operated in partnership with Novant Health in which healthcare providers write produce prescriptions that patients redeem for fresh produce via Feast Down East, aimed at improving health outcomes.
- Farmers Fighting Hunger Emergency food relief program that provides fresh local produce to regional community organizations and partner agencies (schools, food pantries, senior housing) fighting food insecurity, including 13 partner agencies served in 2025.
Quantifiable outcome
- 21 farmer scholarships awarded in 2025
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use SOL EAST
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
SOL EAST technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
SOL EAST partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Novant HealthcoreHealthcare system partnership for the Food Rx program where healthcare providers write 'produce prescriptions' connecting patients to fresh food through Feast Down East's Mobile Market. Part of broader effort to improve health outcomes through food access.
- FarmSHAREmajorPartner organization funding the Farmers Fighting Hunger program for regional community organizations providing food access programming.
- Faith & Feeding CoalitionmajorCoalition of faith-based organizations working with Feast Down East to distribute food through the Farmers Fighting Hunger program.
- YWCA Lower Cape FearminorNonprofit partner through the Grandparents Support Network program, receiving fresh produce for grandparent caregivers.
- UNCW (University of North Carolina Wilmington)minorAcademic institution partner; Feast Down East originated in 2006 as the Southeastern North Carolina Food Systems Program (SENCFSP), a UNCW-affiliated economic development project founded by Leslie Hossfeld, former Chair and Professor of Sociology at UNCW.
- Center for Community ActionminorRegional nonprofit in Lumberton; co-founder organization for Feast Down East's founding, established by Rev. Mac Legerton, Executive Director.
- Communities In Schools Cape FearminorNonprofit partner distributing emergency food relief through school sites to families in need using Feast Down East's Farmers Fighting Hunger program.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SOL EAST competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Strengths4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SOL EAST social profiles
Digital presenceSOL EAST financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SOL EAST leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
SOL EAST funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SOL EAST M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SOL EAST
What does SOL EAST do?
Feast Down East is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates a USDA and GAP certified regional Food Hub providing wholesale aggregation and distribution of local produce to restaurants, grocers, and institutions via an Online Wholesale Marketplace. It supplements this with a CSA Box subscription program for individual consumers, the Local Motive Mobile Farmers' Market serving food-insecure communities, the Food Rx produce prescription program with Novant Health, and the Farmers Fighting Hunger emergency relief program. The combination supports both small-to-mid-sized local farmers and consumers across Southeastern North Carolina.
Is SOL EAST a public or private company?
SOL EAST is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was SOL EAST founded?
SOL EAST was founded in 2006. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is SOL EAST based?
SOL EAST is headquartered in Burgaw, United States, in the North America region.
How does SOL EAST make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Wholesale Food Sales are the primary driver. The others are CSA Box Subscriptions, donations and Grants and mobile Market Sales.
Does SOL EAST have an API?
No public API is recorded for SOL EAST.
What industry is SOL EAST in?
SOL EAST's product category is Local Food Hub Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAIANAC, Farm-to-Consumer Produce Boxes / CSA Delivery. Its NAICS code is 62421 and its SIC code is 5400.