One significant advantage of starting a home garden is the reduction of food waste. In traditional grocery systems, unsold produce often goes to waste due to imperfections or overstocking.
By growing our own food, we can harvest precisely what we need, minimizing waste and saving money. Additionally, any surplus can be shared with neighbors, donated to food banks, or preserved for future use through canning, freezing, or drying.
Gardening is not only a rewarding and enjoyable hobby, but it also holds the key to a sustainable future. By growing our own food, we can reduce our carbon footprint, promote biodiversity, and contribute to healthier ecosystems.
Remember, starting a garden doesn’t require a vast space or extensive knowledge. With a little effort and the right plant choices, anyone can embark on a sustainable gardening journey and reap the benefits of a greener, more self-sufficient lifestyle.
One practice that is sustainable and environmentally friendly is gardening. Not only does gardening connect us with nature, but it also allows us to grow our own food, reduce our carbon footprint, and contribute to a greener future.
How community gardens reduce food waste?
Community gardens thus are an excellent resource and strategy for reducing food waste.
The journey a vegetable takes from being planted on the farm to the grocery store can be long and complicated. First off, not all vegetables meet the standards to make the trip. Then, the vegetables that do get shipped face a variety of challenges.
The biggest waste happens when the vegetables are harvested and being prepared for shipping. Grocery stores only purchase vegetables and fruits that look good. There are no exceptions made for oddly shaped vegetables and these get discarded or set aside as livestock feed. In a community garden, all the produce is used. Even the weird-looking vegetables, the too-small carrots, the lopsided beets, the slightly bug-eaten cabbage. These are still perfectly good to eat even if they don’t look perfect.
The process of shipping fruits and vegetables thousands of miles from the farm to the grocery store is another area where lots of waste happens. The vegetables may rot on the long drive or show up in less than ideal conditions and get discarded before they make it to the shelf. Community gardens eliminate the whole transport issue because, of course, the gardens are local. They aren’t going to sit in a tractor-trailer on the highway spoiling and losing value. Freshly picked vegetables are always best taste-wise and nutritionally. The less a vegetable has to travel, the less likely it will become waste.
Additionally, community gardens can tailor what they grow to suit the specific desires of the community. If the gardens are growing what the local people want, then it will be eaten and not wasted.
Learn more about EvCC Sustainability! www.everettcc.edu/green
Mariya Zelenskyy – Media and Outreach Coordinator sustainability@everettcc.edu