Contributed by Jolene Ottosen for the Chaparral Green Thumbs
As gardeners, a bumper crop is a source of pride, but for some, it can also be a source of stress as you navigate how to deal with excess produce. Every year, Canadians dispose of over 50 million tonnes of food waste. This is hugely problematic for a variety of financial, environmental, and social reasons. Food waste costs consumers money and leads to an increase in greenhouse gases if not disposed of correctly and highlights social inequalities. The last thing we want is for our gardening work to contribute to this problem!
Canning and Freezing
Freezing is my favourite way to store extra produce as there is generally minimal prep involved beyond washing and perhaps pitting if it is something like stone fruit. Canning is also loved by many but is far too hot and labour-intensive for my taste. I have occasionally made an exception for things like cherry jelly, but generally, I am a freeze fan. However, I have found that some foods are worth the effort to freeze in a more finished form. For example, one year I pre-shredded a lot of zucchinis, thinking of the future zucchini bread I would make. The reality, as I thawed the shreds, was a wet mess that I ended up never using and eventually composted after I cleaned out the freezer. A better use was when I took a day to bake the zucchini bread and freeze that instead. I am the same with tomatoes. While I do freeze some whole, I make better use of them when I make sauce and freeze the finished product. I don’t love the process, but I am very thankful later on when I have something ready-made to use.
Redistributing the Harvest
Another option for those who have more than they need is to give it away to family and friends. In the late summer, I often see memes online cautioning those who befriend zucchini growers to be aware of the “dangers” as their friends try to pawn off their prolific produce. However, despite the memes, most of us love having those friends. One of my colleagues used to bring in extra vegetables to work and spread them out on a table, emailing colleagues to let them know to help themselves. He never had to take any home again!
While giving the food away to people we know is great, another option that people don’t always consider is donating that extra produce to a local food bank. Most of us think of non-perishable canned or dried items when we think about donating to a food bank, but food banks do accept perishable food, and many even have programs encouraging gardeners to plant a row for the food bank. In our community garden, we always dedicate at least one plot to the food bank.
Food Bank Donations
If you are considering donating produce to a food bank, here are some things to consider:
• Recommended produce: beans, peas, tomatoes, beets, turnips, potatoes, zucchini, carrots, onions, garlic, and leafy greens.
• Crab apples and other home-grown fruit are generally not accepted.
• Leave the dirt on! Garden soil actually protects the vegetables and washing kickstarts the decomposition process. Produce might not look as nice, but it will keep longer if you leave the dirt on.
• Whenever possible, donate the produce in a container you don’t expect to get back.
• Bring in the donations as close to harvest as possible.
The Calgary Food Bank tracks donations from community gardens, and last year over 100,000 pounds of food was donated through the Grow a Row program. Whatever you decide to do with the fruits of your labour, may your gardens be full of more produce than weeds and bring you joy throughout the process!
If you are interested in more information about our garden, email us at [email protected].
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