Embracing Ugly Foods - Diverting Food Waste And Filling My Stomach With Cheap, Organic Produce
I just received my first order of produce from Imperfect Produce. Imperfect Produce is a new company that has partnered with California farms to source “ugly foods” that otherwise wouldn’t be sold. They sell and distribute the produce to Bay Area residents via their “produce boxes”. I signed up for the extra large organic box and received:
- 4 limes
- 4 pomegranates
- 1 shokichi shiro squash
- 1 garlic head
- 2 lbs of grapes
- 1 butternut squash
- 1 bunch of cilantro
- 1 bunch of parsley
- 2 lbs green peppers
- 2 honeydews
- 2 lbs oranges
- 2 bunches of kale
- 1 lb rainbow carrots
- 2 lbs red onions
- 2 lbs potatoes
- 2 lbs sweet potatoes
- 3 lbs yellow peaches
- 1 lb zucchini.
Guess what...it was all ORGANIC. And, it cost me a total of $52.19 including delivery to my front door!
I have signed up for a weekly delivery and can customize my box to add more of or exclude certain fruits and veggies. I can pause my weekly delivery whenever I want so that I am not paying for produce when I am on vacation or do not need the food.
This is revolutionary in the food movement!!! We are saying yes to weirdly shaped or colored produce that tastes delicious and would otherwise be thrown away. (Wait...how did we get to a point in our food system where that is revolutionary??)
I have taken some photos of my “ugly food” and have added some informative text to the photos. This was inspired by Lexicon of Food’s info art and my friend, Lizzy Elliot, who works there. I hope you enjoy!
Sources
Coleman-Jensen, Alisha, Rabbit, Matthew, Gregory, Christian, and Singh, Anita. 2015, Household Food Security in the United States in 2014. USDA. http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/1896841/err194.pdf
http://www.blog.imperfectproduce.com/blog-1/2016/7/5/why-imperfect-fights-to-end-food-waste
http://foodtank.com/news/2015/06/world-environment-day-10-facts-about-food-waste-from-bcfn
Gunders, Dana. 2012, Wasted: How America Is Losing Up to 40 Percent of Its Food from Farm to Fork to Landfill. Natural Resource Defence Council. 12-06-B.
Listen, i think you just gave a me a great idea... why dont we create a similar platofrm to peerhub, only instead, connect steemers who eat organic like yourself, and steemers like @papa-pepper who grow it?
I mean it wouldnt work outside the US, but it would give a freat boost to the SD economy plus society growth.
Do you think its a good idea?
Hey you can list food on Peerhub too... =P
Yes but we need some sor tof a build in rep system... let me dm you
I think it's a great idea. I would love to buy produce through the cold season with sbd's :)
Indeed. Let's do it! I will find local farmers here and stores that tend to throw away produce and see if I can talk with them.
It's sad how much is wasted because it doesn't look pretty when all we do is cut it up, cook it and eat it all the same.
-- voted/resteemed/shared on my SM accts. Great ideas, approved!!
We are actually trying to buy as much "ugly food" as possible. From my own experience (which means nothing), they are actually tastier than "standardized food" which usually does not taste anything but have instead a perfect shape (or anything like that).
I can never understand why one fruit that slightly 'imperfect' ( and who decides this?) can not be sold becauce its not aesthetically pleasing to some - still taste the same! - this is a great concept , something all farmers should look to do.
Great share
Some taste better. Look at tomatoes. Those from supermarkets taste like styrofoam, but they grow more per plant and are nice, shiney, and red. Farmed tomatoes are delicious and healthy.
That is a great idea! And it's organic!
Resteemed and tweeted!
That's brilliant! nothing wrong with a bit of ugly fruit and what a great price. Nice one!
Oh nice. I've been trying to get more into eating fruits and vegetables like a monkey used to million years ago. :D I've recently been eating a lot of fruits and vegetables, and some of the ones you listed here I've never even heard of. Fantastic post. Thanks!
I wrote an article on Zen and Squirrel Medidation if you've not seen it yet. I know do yoga and meditation as well and I wanted your opinion of my write up and/or any tips if you have the time. :) The Way of the Squirrel: Master of Zen
Also, how can I get started with something like this here in CO/Denver area? I want to promote this and get more involved w/ the local farmes and produce stores etc. Any tips or advice?
Thank you for the cool post! I know locally in Oregon there are several farms that do food boxes "cso" I think they call them, and it would be great to get a steem project connecting farmers and their produce-- perfect or imperfect, to people. It would beawesome if they farmers accepted steem!