How to ensure we don’t waste our surplus fruit and veg

Many of us are growing vegetables and have fruit trees. We want to be sure we use it all – achieve a NO WASTE GARDEN. At the Friends of the Earth Convergence From Plains to Plate we talked about a number of ways we can reduce waste. We can share by offering our surplus to our neighbours or bringing it to our Community Group meetings, we can swap by bringing our produce to a meeting and exchange for something we would like. The Friends of the Earth Urban Orchard works on this principle as well as the Fruit & Veg Swap in the west of the city. And then we can barter by offering people something in exchange or we can trade through LETS – Local Exchange Trading System. When you join LETS you can offer your produce for units (with part dollars) and then trade. You can then use your units for produce, seedlings or other goods and services being offered by members.

All these methods are great ways to make sure we use all our produce. Sharing without expectation of a swap, exchange or trade is a community building activity within a group.

So become a sharer as well as a swapper or trader.