Let's get WASTED!

Okay so i don't mean to literally get wasted! This is all about food waste, which is a serious epidemic in our country.  On Tuesday, I attended a program that informed me about food waste and what I can do to help stop wasting it and filling up our landfills.

This professional developments was probably the best one I have gone to throughout my time here at The Mount.  The reason is because one of my hobbies is gardening and I love cooking.  I recently just got chickens (my goodness, are they cute!) and having a mini farm is something that I want to do.  Learning how food waste can be started by just not using some of the "ugly" looking veggies from the garden or the parts we just don't it really impacted some of the decisions I am going to make throughout my garden season this year.  

Here are my new chicks!

When I am at my mom's, we usually throw unused food out to the deer for them to eat. However, they will not eat everything so, naturally, food just ends up being thrown away.  That is the issue that this program discussed.  

A lot of people spoke at this program who were from the DEC, EPA, farms, county departments, and more.  Even our own Dr. Smirnova spoke about the new sensory garden that is being built at Bishop Dunn.  The points that these people were stressing was how they make strides to stop food waste by donating, recycling, or making new foods. Foods that are unused can be brought to food pantries, can be composted, or made into different things for people to consume.  For example, the farmer who spoke at the event said that rotten apples are made into apple cider.  Instead of just getting rid of the apples that people wouldn't want to use to eat just like that, can be made into a fall favorite drink that just about everyone enjoys.  

Not only did we hear the panel speak, but we got to watch this amazing documentary, which you can go watch on Amazon by clicking this link.  In this documentary it stresses how much of an issue food waste is.  We are all worried about climate change but our food waste is a major contributor to greenhouse gases.  As we continue to waste more and more food, we are keeping it out of the mouths of people who are going hungry all across the world; even our country.  This documentary taught me that you don't have to be rich or have fancy technologies to help stop food waste, but there are so many simple things we can do at home to help.  

When I heard that we waste over 1 billion tons of food annually, it made my stomach turn.  It is crazy how supermarkets and distributors just keep producing more and more food that is not being eaten.  As a country, we need to take action by understanding what they dates mean on food.  In the video, they explained that these dates are meant for the stores so they know when to rotate the shelves.  People who buy and eat the food sometimes mistake certain dates for an expiration date, and they just throw it away.  Certain foods like meat, you have to be careful by canned foods, honey, and other perishable items will last. Feeding animals is another way to help stop food waste.  Animals, particularly pigs, will eat anything.  If you throw your unwanted produce and what not to animals, then you are keeping it from going to landfills like the one pictured above. Another way to stop food waste is through composting.  If you throw unused parts of fruits or vegetables into a compost bin, you are making extremely fertile soil that can be used for the garden!  

I know for me, I am going to help with this issue.  I am going to feed the chickens certain veggies I don't eat and I am going to start composting.  I also eventually want to get a pig.  I am looking forward to start my journey in helping this food waste issue.  What are you going to do to help?

Below are some photos from the conference!

Dr. Smirnova presenting on the sensory garden.

The sensory garden plans

Composting bin.