tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600547016363116211.post3116159772521772375..comments2024-03-05T04:53:05.648-04:00Comments on Canoe Corner: Food for ThoughtMargueritehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14377516887669269657noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600547016363116211.post-616687583164725562012-12-13T20:13:27.477-04:002012-12-13T20:13:27.477-04:00I think part of it is a disconnect with our food. ...I think part of it is a disconnect with our food. So many don't even realize where food comes from anymore. If it isn't on a store shelf they don't trust it.Margueritehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14377516887669269657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600547016363116211.post-4305175661526486112012-12-13T20:11:43.776-04:002012-12-13T20:11:43.776-04:00Janet, maybe that is part of the issue. We would ...Janet, maybe that is part of the issue. We would never have known about taking this food had not a couple of locals let us know. It's possible that others are unaware they can collect this food.Margueritehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14377516887669269657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600547016363116211.post-57196239677547105992012-12-13T20:09:17.288-04:002012-12-13T20:09:17.288-04:00Diana, I've never used Google Plus. What a ne...Diana, I've never used Google Plus. What a neat tool. I'm glad this post is getting out. If we know more about how our food system works we can work to remedy it.Margueritehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14377516887669269657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600547016363116211.post-68267735765280028492012-12-13T14:30:17.294-04:002012-12-13T14:30:17.294-04:00Some more comments are feeding thru where I shared...Some more comments are feeding thru where I shared your post on Google Plus<br />https://plus.google.com/u/1/103958562190125161194/posts/BXvm5ythFYb<br />Diana Studerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12286066768376135880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600547016363116211.post-30015358496331820512012-12-13T06:27:35.838-04:002012-12-13T06:27:35.838-04:00I'm horrified. At the very least I would hope ...I'm horrified. At the very least I would hope that the "spare" potatoes would be well advertised locally so that lots of people could take advantage of the ridiculous wastage of modern farming. Of course consumers are partly to blame, they want cheap potatoes of good even size...Janet/Plantaliscioushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15605580157193047780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600547016363116211.post-40230010556058800062012-12-11T13:33:42.269-04:002012-12-11T13:33:42.269-04:00can't answer that one, marguerite .. somehow w...can't answer that one, marguerite .. somehow we blind ourselves to what is available right in front of us .. get caught in what we don't have instead of realizing what we do have .. even here in our community garden (such a small part of it all .. ) i have to keep reminding people to come and harvest the food .. <br /><br />my idealistic mind sees gardens and growing food as an answer to hunger and unemployment .. hmmm .. how do we begin .. <br /><br />jane ..https://www.blogger.com/profile/15642217952016222634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600547016363116211.post-61577408298805215892012-12-10T19:49:29.276-04:002012-12-10T19:49:29.276-04:00Jane, what really gets me is how we have major foo...Jane, what really gets me is how we have major food problems right now. There is high unemployment here and food banks are discussing the rising number of families requiring aid. There's a solution staring us in the face it would seem but why is it not being accessed?Margueritehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14377516887669269657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600547016363116211.post-51523923240853325962012-12-10T19:47:38.116-04:002012-12-10T19:47:38.116-04:00Thank you Cat. I felt I needed to share this. Wo...Thank you Cat. I felt I needed to share this. Wondered if folks would be as surprised as I was. Seems many are.Margueritehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14377516887669269657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600547016363116211.post-62295981536223624062012-12-10T19:47:00.200-04:002012-12-10T19:47:00.200-04:00Tufa, I think you're right. There are a lot o...Tufa, I think you're right. There are a lot of regulations when it comes to food. We want our food to be safe which makes perfect sense. But when it means dumping food I question how far we've gone.Margueritehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14377516887669269657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600547016363116211.post-51262462603400315432012-12-10T19:45:01.110-04:002012-12-10T19:45:01.110-04:00Good point Jason. What is left in these fields is...Good point Jason. What is left in these fields is free for the taking, which is wonderful. But how many people are able to get to those fields? We only knew we could take what was there as a couple of local folk let us know.Margueritehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14377516887669269657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600547016363116211.post-81131390912881163982012-12-10T16:15:14.573-04:002012-12-10T16:15:14.573-04:00Woolworths, the supermarket we prefer to shop at, ...Woolworths, the supermarket we prefer to shop at, has a system. Food that is dated between Sell By and Best Before, is given to charity. Diana Studerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12286066768376135880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600547016363116211.post-75378765317926619972012-12-10T14:34:07.014-04:002012-12-10T14:34:07.014-04:00good morning, marguerite .. what an opportunity fo...good morning, marguerite .. what an opportunity for you to see the irony in our present day situation .. on the one hand, crying poor, on the other, pitiful waste .. it's remarkable isn't it, when so much wasted food could be used for hungry people .. on a smaller scale, i note such waste in the fall as we pass fruit trees laden with beautiful apples, especially, that are just left to fall and rot .. here's where i see a need to teach people the art of gleaning .. where gather food may be natural to some of us, others have no idea it is even there .. thanks for this enlightening post ..jane ..https://www.blogger.com/profile/15642217952016222634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600547016363116211.post-22984939630885141622012-12-10T10:48:24.066-04:002012-12-10T10:48:24.066-04:00Wow, what an eye opener! The more aware we all be...Wow, what an eye opener! The more aware we all become of situations like this, the more change will occur. Thanks for shedding light on the problem. I love the idea of the "gleaners" and feel especially strongly that education is key to helping people learn how to prepare simple food. It seems a good, old fashioned course in home ec would be valuable to teach basic life skills. Cathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03872899189875117518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600547016363116211.post-60318472281040276862012-12-10T08:51:37.698-04:002012-12-10T08:51:37.698-04:00Oh my goodness. I had no idea. I am certain there ...Oh my goodness. I had no idea. I am certain there are horrible things like liability and insurance, etc. to be considered. (My friends call me Debbie Downer.) Such good things could happen if folks could just do the right thing. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12140773202280570336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600547016363116211.post-53175691699481818392012-12-09T23:33:15.839-04:002012-12-09T23:33:15.839-04:00Hard to understand how it would make sense for the...Hard to understand how it would make sense for the farms to leave all that on the ground. It reminds me how in the Old Testament farmers are commanded to leave the gleanings in the fields for the poor. Only thing is the hungry generally are not able to get out to these fields. Glad to hear about the volunteer program you mentioned.Jasonhttp://gardeninacity.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600547016363116211.post-18225683868082949832012-12-09T21:27:05.369-04:002012-12-09T21:27:05.369-04:00Good point Melanie. Grocery stores are notorious ...Good point Melanie. Grocery stores are notorious for dumping food and it seems to me I've heard that it's illegal to actually pick through their garbage and collect it. As my mother would say - this world is going to hell in a hand basket.Margueritehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14377516887669269657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600547016363116211.post-57545216314764533752012-12-09T21:25:25.001-04:002012-12-09T21:25:25.001-04:00We gathered all we could but it's hardly a den...We gathered all we could but it's hardly a dent in what's out there. Like you I just had no idea it would be so much left behind. I supposed there would be some but it was almost like nothing had been collected at all. I guess it depends on gathering conditions year to year (it was quite muddy this year so difficult for machinery to get in) but even just one year of this much left behind is too much in my opinion.Margueritehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14377516887669269657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600547016363116211.post-24969566572608958072012-12-09T21:22:34.345-04:002012-12-09T21:22:34.345-04:00You said it. It's just that simple.You said it. It's just that simple.Margueritehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14377516887669269657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600547016363116211.post-26681983965846019032012-12-09T19:21:15.511-04:002012-12-09T19:21:15.511-04:00It's horrible how much food we waste, and not ...It's horrible how much food we waste, and not just in farmers fields. Take a look inside the dumpsters behind restaurants and supermarkets. Food is not the only thing we waste..... Interesting to hear about gleaners.Melanie J Wattshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03265452434129642917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600547016363116211.post-91438108810460983232012-12-09T19:09:29.883-04:002012-12-09T19:09:29.883-04:00It is truly sad how much food we waste. I hope yo...It is truly sad how much food we waste. I hope you will pick up all the potatoes that you can, and if you can't eat them all, give them to a food bank. It's a shame (and a blessing, too, I suppose) that we have so much food that we don't find much value in it. But I had no idea so much would be left behind to waste, when there are some that will go hungry tonight.HolleyGardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600547016363116211.post-25878626220053094092012-12-09T18:34:17.800-04:002012-12-09T18:34:17.800-04:00I am surprised too. What a waste. I am surprised too. What a waste. Janet, The Queen of Seafordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07876204203323750245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600547016363116211.post-53414804717978545312012-12-09T16:07:14.706-04:002012-12-09T16:07:14.706-04:00Brenda, so glad you had a chance to google this to...Brenda, so glad you had a chance to google this topic. It's fascinating isn't it? As you point out, considering the time of year and the economic hardships the maritimes are facing right now it's a horrible irony that food is gone to waste. Our own community has raised a large amount of money recently benefiting the food bank but it seems ridiculous considering we have fields full of food that we're ignoring.Margueritehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14377516887669269657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600547016363116211.post-17652507614444236012012-12-09T16:03:49.616-04:002012-12-09T16:03:49.616-04:00Laurrie, if you search gleaning on the internet yo...Laurrie, if you search gleaning on the internet you'll actually find there's tons of information out there about groups across the States. (I'm wishing I had written about that now! another post maybe..) However, where fresh food is concerned our food regulations come into play and while some places are making it work it seems others struggle. Regulation is meant to be helpful but it seems more and more it only benefits large corporations and kills local and organic food supplies.Margueritehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14377516887669269657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600547016363116211.post-32069732717135282102012-12-09T15:59:50.818-04:002012-12-09T15:59:50.818-04:00Lisa, I agree. It is so incredibly sad. Standing...Lisa, I agree. It is so incredibly sad. Standing in that field I just couldn't fathom how that could all be left behind. Margueritehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14377516887669269657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600547016363116211.post-32568080376682972592012-12-09T15:57:37.934-04:002012-12-09T15:57:37.934-04:00Diana, it's awful but I'm not surprised to...Diana, it's awful but I'm not surprised to hear that Grow a Row has difficulties. I work in Social Services and often one of the problems facing families there is lack of skills, such as cooking. Making a healthy meal is no longer a basic skill that everyone is capable of. Or as you point out in your story, it is regarded as something only poor folk would do.Margueritehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14377516887669269657noreply@blogger.com