Supporting the local food movement and giving people a chance to meet chefs, farmers and fishermen is the aim of a meeting next week in Southport.

Feast Down East will be hosted by Fishy Fishy Café in Southport from 2-4:30 p.m.

The event is a partnership involving the N.C. State Cooperative Extension, the Center for Environmental Farming Systems and Downtown Southport Inc., according to a news release from organizers.

The purpose is to launch the Southport 10% Campaign Community Challenge and focus attention on the importance of buying products from local farmers and fishermen.

The campaign is a statewide initiative aimed at building North Carolina’s food economy by encouraging residents to spend 10 percent of their existing food budget on foods produced locally. Organizers say, if successful, the campaign could have a $3.5 billion impact on the state economy.

“Brunswick County families, the community, our health and the environment can be positively affected if we make a commitment to the local food effort,” said Jane Steigerwald, program director for marketing and institutional buying with Feast DownEast.

The University of North Carolina Wilmington is the lead agent for Feast Down East, also known as Southeastern North Carolina Food Systems Program (SENCFS).

“In order to create a totally integrated local food system, we need commitment from the both public and private sectors of our community,” said Leslie Hossfeld, co-founder and director of public sociology at UNCW.

Fishy Fishy Café is located at 106 Yacht Basin Drive in Southport. Visit www.feastdowneast.org for more information about Feast Down East programs and local food initiatives.