Thinking About Food Waste

I live in Staten Island, New York - one of the five boroughs of New York City. Here we are required to recycle paper products, glass and plastics. They must be separated into separate bins and are collected once a week separately from the rest of our trash. If a mistake is made (ie. a plastic bottle is accidentally found in the regular trash, as happened to me once while in college) you are slapped with a fine upwards of one-hundred dollars.

It's to save the Earth, believe me, I get it. However, if I screw up my Thanksgiving dinner and no one in the family wants to eat it and the entire feast makes its way into the regular trash - no one bats an eye. It is an extreme case, but think for a moment how much food do we really throw away every single day?

I just finished listening to a webinar on Food Waste in the United States and it got me thinking: Why ISN'T this a bigger deal? It seems that most of us recognize the importance of recycling paper, plastic (when possible), glass and we have even stopped littering, but food, the thing I just mentioned I value above all else, is getting frivolously wasted by all of us.

I have to still absorb all that I heard this afternoon before I can truly compose a well-thought out post for you to read, but I need to blow off a little steam.

For now I will leave you with a link to the book American Wasteland, which I now want to read. The author, Jonathan Bloom, was the first speaker in the webinar and he was quite compelling. 

Anyone interested in reading this book with me?

TAKE ACTION AGAINST GE FOODS

There will be a meeting in Canada in the coming week concerning food labeling as a global issue. Of course, when it comes to food labeling, one of the topics up for discussion is genetically engineered foods. There will be delegates from the United States sharing their opinion that labeling - unfortunately, that opinion is that genetically engineered foods should not be labeled. If you are one of the very many people that feel that this particular opinion does not reflect your own, then please take a moment to sign the petition put together by the Alliance for Natural Health that will be sent directly to the committee.

Ask the CCFL to Revise Its Draft Position on the Labeling of Genetically Engineered Foods!

Why I Call Myself a "Foodie"

I love food. I always have and I believe I always will.

As an infant I was categorized as, "a healthy eater," to the relief of my parents who didn't have to battle with me to eat. As I grew into a young child I would gladly partake in all of our home-cooked meals and be baffled by my brother's picky pallet. As an adult I have come to truly appreciate my food thoroughly - from its creation and preparation to its aroma, flavor and nutritional support.

Foodie, Defined 
 
For these reasons, I have considered myself a foodie, which is defined as follows,

Foodie is an informal term for a particular class of aficionado of food and drink. The word was coined in 1981 by Paul Levy and Ann Barr, who used it in the title of their 1984 book The Official Foodie Handbook.

So, in short,  a foodie is a fan of food. That's how I always thought of it. I am a fan of food. Perhaps you would prefer that I call myself a food nerd, as I am already a math nerd and book geek? To me, they are one in the same, except that "food nerd" has a term already developed for it: "foodie."

Foodie, Interpreted
 
However, it has come to my attention that this term foodie has a negative connotation to it for some. I guess it comes from that part of the definition that says a foodie is "a particular class" of food fan. It seems, when some people here the term "foodie," they hear things like:

• food know it all
• food snob
• blind follower of food professionals
• food elitist (I was inspired to write this post after reading Eric Schlosser in The Washington Post called "Why being a foodie isn't 'elitist'")

It makes me wonder: What do others hear when I am coined a "foodie"? Since it seems this term is subjective in meaning, I guess it is important that I state my intent of the term.

Foodie, As I Use It

I believe that food is the most valuable product on this planet. In my eyes, its value dwarfs that of the dollar, of gold and even of oil - strip all of those away and we can still survive because food and water are the keys to our very existence.

I value food.

I appreciate food.

I want to learn more about food because I think food is that important to my health, my existence and my family's future. I call myself a foodie for all of these reasons. In my life as a foodie I am learning, cooking, eating, gardening and shopping.

Do you consider yourself a foodie? Why/why not?

What does the term "foodie" mean to you?

Is there some other term, aside from "foodie" that you prefer to use? 

My Composting Conundrum - GARDENERS I NEED YOUR HELP!

Yesterday it rained, the day before I spent writing for three different blogs, so Tuesday must have been the last time I ventured into my backyard.

Spring Has Sprung
 
As I stepped out about an hour ago, I noticed that life had spring up all over - I was overcome with weeds throughout the walkway, at least three baby maple trees  springing up within the weeds (how apropos for Arbor day!), the peach tree is in bloom, my tiger lilies have grown up to my knees and the wisteria is readying to climb all over the back fence again this year. After witnessing all of that I don't know why I was surprised when I opened my compost bin, but having visited it and layered it only three days ago, I was. The last thing I expectd to see in my compost bin was this:

 It's beautiful. It's exciting. However, I have no idea what it is!

And one more thing - it's not alone!

Here's another baby one

And the other corner...

A couple of weeks ago I gave up my hopes of having a hot compost pile when I discovered that all of the "brown" materials I had been using were among the slowest to decompose. Alas, without steam emanating from my pile I simply had to trust that I was doing the right thing and that, in time, my rich soil would be produced. One issue with a compost pile that is not hot is that any seeds added to the mix will not be killed with the heat. ...Although I consciously understood I there would be no hot compost, I seemed to have forgotten that very important detail about the seeds until seeing my beautiful new babies.

The Good News

As an insatiable optimist, I am always looking for the positive spin on things. So here are the pluses:

• The soil in my bin can support life, perhaps even better than I can! (I am never very good at growing anything from a seed.)
• My goal this summer has been to grow food in my backyard, while I am still waiting for my tomato and asparagus plants, potato and pepper seeds to arrive (along with a nectarine tree!!) some food has already started growing! I am on my way!

The Puzzling Part - Gardeners WHAT DO YOU SEE?

I called this post "My Compost Conundrum" for a reason - I am completely confused. I have no idea what I am growing back there and I am afraid I might kill it if I just start digging it out to find out! Here are some of the things that I have put in the compost bin that may have had seeds with it:

• bell peppers ~ this would be awesome since the bell pepper plants were all sold out and I am relying on my ability to grow something from a seed (see above for reference to my lack of confidence in this area) to get my bell peppers going in the back.
• pumpkin ~ while cleaning out my backyard I noticed someone simply moved a jack-o-lantern from the front of the house to an ignored corner of the backyard after Halloween. I shoveled the orange goo (which did include seeds) up and threw it in my compost bin.
• apples ~ I have been eating apples like crazy lately and I have been chucking the whole cores right into the compost. Could I have an orchard growing in my bin?
• potatoes... maybe? ~ I have put potato skins/peelings in the compost. They might have included "eyes." I worry about this possibility because I know if you grow potatoes in a patch of soil, then that soil should not be used for potatoes or a number of other plants in the following growing season. If they are potatoes is my compost ruined?? 
• zucchini ~ I feel like I had to compost a part of a zucchini that got gross because I didn't use it in time. It was either a zucchini or a yellow squash - something like that. I was sad about it, but flt a little bit better about it knowing I was composting it and not just throwing it away.

Beyond that, I am stumped. I am sure I will be thinking of new things every hour, but those are the biggies. I know one of you fabulous gardeners took one look at those pictures and knew INSTANTLY what we are looking at here - so let me know!! Even if it is not on my list above, that probably means I just forgot to list it!

My Questions for ANYONE to Answer

• What the heck am I growing in my compost bin?
• How did this happen? Is my compost too wet? Is it because I didn't turn my compost? 
• Is this good news or bad news for my compost?
• How and where should I transplant these plants? Should they go in a pot/container, or into my garden?
• Did this ever happen to you?