In 2020, Governor Whitmer signed an executive order for Michigan to become carbon neutral by 2050. Included in this order was also a target of a 28% reduction in carbon emissions by 2025. The MI Healthy Climate plan is being put together to guide how we will get there. And when we heard that, we knew food loss and waste reduction could be an important part of that plan. Food waste is one of [...]
By now, kids that are going back to school are back and all across the U.S., school lunches are once again being packed in the morning. And, at the end of the day, being unpacked and dumped into the garbage (or hopefully compost!). Now the time you took to carefully pack a meal and the food itself have gone to waste. What's going on? You "wish-packed." Wouldn't it be great if your child ate whole wheat [...]
In our last blog post, we answered the question "where does the food come from?" In this post we answer another common question -- where does the food go? When we started making meals in January, about 50 people from the community were already coming to Jefferson Avenue Presbyterian Church to pick up a box of food made available through the USDA Farmers to Families program. Some people picked up for themselves while others [...]
When you're making 1000 meals a week from donated food, one of the biggest questions is, "where does all that food come from?" The simple answer is, everywhere! Just about everyone who works in the food system finds themselves with extra now and then. Farms, retailers, distributors, food producers -- you name it. What makes our meals most interesting is that we bring in food from such a variety of sources. Here are some [...]
Looking for ways to reduce food waste at home? Compost! Decide what the right method of composting is for you and your living space. If you have a yard, find an out-of-the-way spot for your compost pile or purchase a compost bin or tumbler. If you choose to use an open-air pile you’ll want to only compost vegetable scraps or vegetables cooked without oil or fat (so that your pile doesn’t attract animals). If [...]
Stronger storms can mean more power outages. Here are a few tips on what to do if it happens to you: Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. If the door stays closed, food will stay safe for up to 4 hours in the refrigerator and up to 48 hours in a full freezer Group frozen foods together if your freezer is only partially full. Transfer items you don’t need [...]
Let's face it, groceries are just not packaged with the smaller household in mind. Packs of meat, bundles of herbs and big boxes of snacks meant for 4-6 people can lead you to toss food before you can get to eating it. Luckily, there are some easy fixes that can stop you from filling up your garbage at the end of the week which can save some serious cash. Shopping First, let's start with [...]
We've all been there -- checking the date on carton of eggs, a ketchup bottle, a packet of meat and realizing that date has passed. In the bin it goes. After all, no one wants to eat expired food! It turns out that those dates aren't actually expiration dates. Which is great news for you AND your wallet. Where do dates come from? Dates on packaged food aren't exactly required by law. Infant formula is [...]
We would never recommend coming to blows with your vegetables, but we can recommend some ways to revive, use up, and make the most of what you’ve brought home or grown. Common Problem: Limp lettuce Hack: Those greens (and carrots, and celery, and green beans…) that you left in the fridge a little too long can bounce back. Soak them in water for 15-30 minutes to bring back the crisp! Common Problem: Squishy fruit [...]
Our friends at Kiesling Detroit offer a range of to-go cocktail kits that are a fun way to follow along with the cooking series. Buy one in time for the show! Here's what they had to say about their operations: As a craft cocktail bar in the time of COVID-19, we are learning a whole new type of service through bottled cocktails. We work hard to be a No-to-low-waste bar. Making ingredients in house [...]
