A movement has to start somewhere. Why not with pie?

Free pie, in fact. Handed out each Wednesday in downtown Ann Arbor's Liberty Plaza. With no demands or expectations, just a message of sharing. And a hope that the revolution catches on.

Sarah Fertig’s movement already has all the ingredients in place: Catchy slogans, dedication to the cause, grounding in a definite philosophical outlook, and even a manifesto. Except hers is a "maniFEASTo." Because of the pie.

Although good humor and bad puns flavor all her efforts, Fertig's clearly not kidding about any of this. Her weekly pie giveaways—dubbed "OccuPIE Wednesdays," of course—stem from a real desire to make a difference.

It all started cooking with Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren's "factory speech" and President Obama's similar remarks, including the "you didn't build that" comment that became a flash point.

Getting her fill of disputes on social media, Fertig—a 27-year-old Ypsilanti resident originally from Brighton—decided to do something.

"“I wasn’t satisfied with just arguing with people on the Internet,” Fertig said while dishing up slices during last week's OccuPIE.

The pie theme arose naturally as she thought about how often pie metaphors get baked into political discourse — "a slice of the pie," "a bigger piece of the pie" and so on. And it proved to be a rather perfect illustration of her outlook: She makes pies, but she couldn't do it without lots of help — from those who provide the ingredients, those who make the baking possible, those who teach how it's done.

"Success or failure do not exist in a vacuum,” she said.

With some help from her boyfriend and baking parner, Chris K., Fertig found a recipe on the Internet and taught herself how to make an apple pie. She baked three the first week.

She wanted to give the pies away in Ann Arbor, where she works part-time at the Delonis Center. She thought about doing it on campus, but settled on Liberty Plaza at Division and Liberty streets, which tends to be a gathering place for some down-on-their-luck residents (as well as the former site of Occupy Ann Arbor, to which Fertig's effort has no connection).

"I just figured the need was much greater at Liberty Plaza," Fertig said. “It’s not just about the message. It’s also about feeding people who are really hungry but also need the encouragement.”

OccuPIE started in July, during the Ann Arbor Art Fair, and has been continuing each Wednesday since. Now Fertig's known as the "Pie Lady," serving up her creations to Liberty Plaza regulars as well as the occasional curious passer-by.

Fertig and her boyfriend start setting up around 5:30 each Wednesday. Last week, Fertig's three homemade pies were gone inside a half-hour, so she went over to the nearby Grand Traverse Pie Co. and bought three reinforcements. Those only lasted about another half-hour.

“I think this is great. I love it,” a woman named Madeleine said Wednesday in between bites. “If you don’t like pie, there’s something wrong with you.”

For pie customer Todd Eaton, last week's OccuPIE served as an opportunity to think a bit about the concept of freedom. “America stands for freedom,” he said. “This is truly free ... I’m thankful for this. Anyone who comes here and does this — wow.”

Although Fertig initially declined monetary donations, a couple of weeks ago she decided to accept them if offered; she's been spending around $20 a week on the pies she makes, and more if she buys some. Wednesday, several appreciative pie lovers pressed money on her — coins and an occasional folded-up single — even with the donation can nearly hidden behind a table.

As the weather gets colder, Fertig may try to bring a slow cooker for apple cider or cocoa to OccuPIE Wednesdays. She doesn't expect to keep going all winter, but “I'm going to do it as long as it's feasible.”

What Fertig really would like to see is other people taking up the cause — making their own pies and handing out pieces, either here or elsewhere.

“I tell people I’m trying to lead by example,” she said. “It’s really easy to be indignant about the state of the world ... but that doesn’t help anything.”

She noted that she lives on a modest salary, without insurance. “If I can share my pie ... surely the people further up on the scale can share their pie too,” she said. “That’s our revolution, one slice at a time.”

For more on OccuPIE Wednesdays, check out the movement's Facebook page.

Some scenes from OccuPIE Wednesday last week:

Bob Needham is director of entertainment content for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at bobneedham@annarbor.com or 734-623-2541, and follow him on Twitter @bobneedham.