This is an interesting link

[conuly]

About the surprising difficulty in donating "unpretty" produce to the poor. The part about half of food grown in the US being wasted has to be hyperbole, though. I know we waste a lot, but surely it isn't that much...?

Comments

[marveen.livejournal.com]

Between here and Olympia (twelve miles or so), I can point out to you seven to nine apple trees that have the rotting fruit still clinging to their boughs or lying in the grass.

There were so many apples this year that we couldn't deal with them all, so some of our own trees had the same problem. (And we know damn well that they're unpretty enough nobody will take them.)

We have carrots still in the ground that will be plowed up with spring plowing and wasted onto the compost pile. (Twisted, forky, possible worms. Unpretty again.)

I'll buy it. (We give away all we can to friends tolerant of nonpointy carrots, small or scabby apples, open-pollinated corn and so forth, but much still goes to waste.)

[fjorab-teke.livejournal.com]

Been there, been instrumental in it. People who really are having a rough time are truly grateful for the food. As long as it's not rotten, we tended to give out a surprising amount of food that weren't pretty or fresh enough to sell. Of course, if it's too far gone, there's no way I'd expect anyone to eat it. It's amazing what goes to waste out there. It's also amazing what's picked up and distributed.

[marveen.livejournal.com]

Between here and Olympia (twelve miles or so), I can point out to you seven to nine apple trees that have the rotting fruit still clinging to their boughs or lying in the grass.

There were so many apples this year that we couldn't deal with them all, so some of our own trees had the same problem. (And we know damn well that they're unpretty enough nobody will take them.)

We have carrots still in the ground that will be plowed up with spring plowing and wasted onto the compost pile. (Twisted, forky, possible worms. Unpretty again.)

I'll buy it. (We give away all we can to friends tolerant of nonpointy carrots, small or scabby apples, open-pollinated corn and so forth, but much still goes to waste.)

[fjorab-teke.livejournal.com]

Been there, been instrumental in it. People who really are having a rough time are truly grateful for the food. As long as it's not rotten, we tended to give out a surprising amount of food that weren't pretty or fresh enough to sell. Of course, if it's too far gone, there's no way I'd expect anyone to eat it. It's amazing what goes to waste out there. It's also amazing what's picked up and distributed.