primitives discuss gleaning

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/11283496

Oh my.

jeffrey_pdx (198 posts)    Sat Nov 8, 2014, 02:06 AM

Gleaning

A few months ago, I applied for a job at this organization called Urban Gleaners. I had no idea what that meant. Gleaners, mostly female and poor, come through a field after its harvested and pick up the stuff that was left behind. This organization does that, but they also collect from restaraunts, hotels, bakeries, and catering companies. I worked in the food industry for a number of years.* The amount of edible food thrown out is astounding. It always bothered me. After a little research, there are organizations like this all around the country. They help food banks, schools, etc strech their budget. Help if you can.

*flipping burgers, perhaps?

Sherman A1 (13,923 posts)    Sat Nov 8, 2014, 04:10 AM

1. K&R!

Where I work, we have food pantries come in 4 times a week. I do everything I can to send them anything that might be usable and no longer salable product. It's simply a win-win in my book. They get stuff, less goes in our dumpster (and then land fill) and frankly it's easier for me as I don't have to carry it out to the dumpster.

The primitive with a sensitive bottom:

Curmudgeoness (15,293 posts)    Sat Nov 8, 2014, 08:42 AM

3. It is amazing how much edible food we throw away in this country.

One problem is that it isn't as easy as it sounds for some places with unsaleable foods to donate it. I don't know if it is state laws or federal laws, but there is a lot of food that you just can't donate because of health/safety laws. I am always upset to think that it is better for someone to eat from a dumpster than to get food before it is thrown in there.
 
I think that the thing that bothered me the most was that at the food pantry, we had to throw away any canned goods that were past the "sell by" dates. I know that this food is still good, since I use expired foods at home all the time.

mopinko (42,610 posts)    Sat Nov 8, 2014, 10:52 AM

4. chickens.

i know a few chicken keepers who have a regular dumpster route to get food for them. others get produce where they shop.

this is a great way to keep food from going to waste, but at the same time not having to worry about the "purity" of what you bring home.
 
also know a few who collect groundfall fruit from neighbors fruit trees. i got some really nice pears last year from one of them. i ate/dehydrate the good ones myself and the girls pigged out on the rest.
 
there are tons of fruit trees around here that barely get picked.

[Dori]

Gleaning goes back to biblical times.

After a harvest, what was left was for the poor to gather. 

[thundley4]

I was a gleaner before it was cool.  When I was young we had rabbits, chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys, not all at the same time though.
 We used to go through the corn fields after harvest and fill gunny sacks with corn that missed.

[Dori]

I was a gleaner before it was cool. 

Same here.  I used to go where there was an empty house that had a lot of fruit trees.  The fruit would just drop on the ground and rot.  I also visited walnut and almond orchards after they were harvested. 

[GOBUCKS]

So Big Mo, the neighbor from hell, also steals fruit.

[obumazombie]

So Big Mo, the neighbor from hell, also steals fruit.

She prefers to refer to it as "liberating".