ASTORIA — North Coast Food Web believes in the power of food to foster good health and to unite a community through the shared — often joyous — experience of cooking and eating together.

NCFW’s Cooking Up Community is a program of broad-reaching food experiences and classes, meant to instill and enhance cooking skills, a love of the art, and an appreciation for the farmers, fishermen, ranchers and foragers who are essential in the quest for food and economic security in rural communities.

The curriculum of one-off classes begins in September. Multi-week courses will begin in October starting with a five-week course on Basic Techniques launching Oct. 3. Each class will top out at 12 students and will be a hands-on experience ending with a shared meal.

Classes for everyone from foodies to neophytes will include cooking for one or two, meals on a budget, addressing special dietary needs, cooking for the week, entertaining, cooking with kids and more.

“We believe that cooking and eating together enhances community health beyond the nutritional value of what we create; beyond the delight of planting, nurturing and harvesting something to eat; beyond the support we can engender for our local producers,” says North Coast Food Web board member Merianne Meyers. “Getting our hands on our food, preparing it with others, sitting at table with new friends we might never have met otherwise — that’s growing community. It’s a delicious weapon in the war on hunger, a productive treatment for ill health and a celebration of the timeless art of food preparation.”

For registration information, go to northcoastfoodweb.org or call cooking class Coordinator Wendy D’Agostino at 503-468-0921 weekdays between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Scholarships are available.