Dr. Marcie Ferris, Marcie Cohen Ferris is an emeritus professor in the Department of American Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she serves as an editor for Southern Cultures, a quarterly journal of the history and cultures of the U.S. South. Ferris is the author of The Edible South:  The Power of Food and the Making of an American Region, (UNC Press, 2014), Matzoh Ball Gumbo: Culinary Tales of the Jewish South (UNC Press, 2005; nominated for a James Beard Award, 2006), and co-author of Jewish Roots in Southern Soil: A New History(Brandeis, 2006). In 2018, Ferris received the Craig Claiborne Lifetime Achievement Award from the Southern Foodways Alliance. Her current book project with UNC Press, Edible North Carolina: A Journey Across a State of Flavor, explores the vibrant contemporary food movement in the Tar Heel State. ​

"Since moving to NC in 2002, I have heard about the wonderful work of FEAST DOWN EAST to strengthen local food economies in the Wilmington region by increasing healthy food access to the community and supporting the hard work of small farmers and food entrepreneurs. As a food studies scholar, it is my honor to serve on the FDE board.  Our staff, farm partners, and community friends are AMAZING. It is especially exciting to work with an organization that GETS work done! I’m so proud of how FDE is serving southeast NC, especially during the challenging times of a pandemic and the growing impact of climate change."