Wasting Food = Wasting Water

             Day 33: I learned this week that one third of the food produced around the world goes to waste. This means that the resources used to produce that food are also lost. Since 70% of our freshwater is used to produce crops think of not only food getting wasted but also trillions of gallons of water as well. I read this week that the average American family of four throws out around 100 lbs of food each month.

          This is picture of our scrap bucket, we fill one of these up once or twice a week. We then take it out and dump it in a pile next to our garden where animals eat on it and some decomposes back into the ground or we turn it over into the garden in the fall.  I used to have a type compost container, but a large animal kept tearing it down.  As many of you know, I don't even like the thought of having a bear anywhere in the area and I kept having to repair the container so now, we just throw it in a pile. We started this mainly because we wanted to decrease the cost of hauling our trash to the dump since they charge by weight. Having done some reading this week, We've been doing a good thing and didn't even know it! Yeah,  but we've been doing our share of letting too much food in our refrigerator go bad.... I  learned that wasted food in the landfill contributes to global warming.  Decomposing food produces methane, a large contributor of greenhouse gasses.
        So what are some solutions? Compost leftovers, freeze what you can't eat when you've cooked a large meal and plan your meals before grocery shopping. These are things we can do as individuals but what about the large grocery stores that throw away produce because they have a few spots? I've heard that there are regulations that won't allow some grocers to give foods away that are close or at expiration date to homeless shelters or food pantries. Even restaurants that have food left over from a slow night have to throw it away. We are such a suing nation! We will let a person go hungry but by Golly  we couldn't possibly take the chance of them getting sick! Regulations regulations regulations. I guess the intentions are good. Why do we feel like a piece of fruit has to be blemish  free to be good to eat?
       Here's a link to an interesting idea to reduce food waste, help those in need and support local economies. It's an online food exchange concept. Check it out. http://www.shared harvest.net.



Leviticus 19:9-10 Says:  "When you harvest your land, don't harvest right up to the edges of your field or gather the gleanings from the harvest.  Don't strip your vineyard bare or go back and pick up the fallen grapes.  leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am God, your God."