In one conversation with the family recently, there was this topic of food shortage due to the over population of the earth. But later, the topic focused on the wastage. Starting with the harvesting in the farm, there's already the so called rejects like odd-sized vegetables or low quality of some fruits. I remember reading in a magazine about the mountain of rejected potatoes that wouldn't pass the quality control. Those potatoes are for free consumption (not for selling). When the vegetables are taken to the processing warehouse, another set of wastage - more rejects by the packers. In the supermarket, it cannot be avoided for some farm produce to rot or go stale so they go to the trash bin. And when you buy, what happens to the farm produce in the kitchen is not 100% for consumption Again, there is wastage not to mention the leftovers of dishes that we do not eat. To my estimate, a good 20% of farm produce goes to waste.
I agree, there's a lot of food in general that's wasted not just farm produce. I bought a watermelon on Saturday and it wasn't that great, so I'll probably throw it out on garbage day. Waste of food and money.
That's a big part of it, I think. So much of the fruit and vegetables that are sold in the stores these days is nearly tasteless. I love strawberries but the ones in the grocery store only have a vague taste of a strawberry, while when I can buy them from a farm store, they're great. The same is true of a lot of things. So, when something doesn't have any taste, I question whether it's even good for me. Since I don't need extra calories, there's no point in eating some tasteless thing that might not even be good for me, so I compost a lot of what we buy.
I feel bad about throwing it out but rather in the garbage than added weight, plus the fact that I didn't even enjoy it. The money is already spent so except for the feeling if being wasteful, best to get rid of it. I also bought cherries that weren't so great, those were really not cheap but it was a day I was treating myself so I'm having a harder time tossing those. I don't mind paying for something but when it's pretty much inedible that makes me angry.
I don't like throwing things away, but it is better than getting food poisoning, or eating something that tastes nasty. I try to give foods I don't like to pets if at all possible. Of course when it comes to fruit, that is pretty much unacceptable. I do have a large wooded area...just off my deck, and ocassionally I will toss an old potato or something out for whatever woodland creature might like it. I really try to throw it far though so they don't come hanging around the house...looking for more!
I think it's sad that we can't (or at least I can't) find good fruit in the grocery store any longer. I haven't had a problem with fresh veggies. Well, scratch that store tomatoes are pretty nasty, but I've been buying them "on the vine" and those are a lot better. Then again, some would call that a fruit. Strawberries... tasteless from the store like Ken said. I got some at a roadside stand from the Amish recently and it took me "back home" to when I picked berries with my Grandma and a lot of them went into my mouth instead of into my basket. Blueberries... no taste. I love fresh raspberries, but afraid to even try store raspberries. And plums... oh my. I broke down and bought plums last week... so bitter that I don't even know what I'll do with them. They're just not ripening more... I thought they might. As for your topic, Corie, yes, I'm sure there's a lot of waste from farm to kitchen but I'm much more concerned about restaurant waste... tossing out food they cooked too much of while most likely in the same town there are homeless people who would love those perfectly good meals that are hitting the trash cans. I was under the impression that a lot of the "farm rejects" get sold in other forms... this isn't right?
I also bought some of the on the vine tomatoes and they taste the best in my opinion. I love the smell of the vine and these have it but I wonder if they put something on them to smell like that, lol. Just like the pine spray at Christmas.
That's exactly what I noticed first, Chrissy... the smell of the vine. My dad grew garden tomatoes every year that he was able, and that's what they smelled like fresh from the garden. It's very rare that I find good grocery store watermelon or cantaloupe either. Only good fruit from a store is probably bananas... but only because they can't be grown in my area and I've never had a "farm-fresh" one!
Yes, bananas are fairly consistent in taste. Maybe the reason I'm not a big fruit eater anymore is that they really aren't tasty like they were when I was young. I used to love peaches as a child, now I don't even them buy them. Then there's the issue where you do but a bag of cuties or some oranges and they are really good, so you go back and buy some more but not so good anymore. Must be one lucky bag in a whole,shipment.