I ran across this site this morning and found it very interesting. Freegan.info

Yes, that woman is pulling food out of a trashcan!

While they have some valid points, I'm going to have to state that this is one of the stupidest things I have ever seen and completely un-realistic. Instead of the hours that it takes to find food worth eating out of the dumpsters, why not grow your own food or maybe barter your time with a farmer? While yes, I agree, that homelessness is a horrible state and it doesn't seem fair that there are empty homes in every city in this country, we have to be realistic. If someone opened these homes up to the homeless 9 times out of 10 they would be destroyed, become drug houses, and probably very unsafe for the neighbors around them. As for hitchhiking -- well I would prefer if my children and I weren't murdered on our next trip to the grocery store.

Eeck! I'm just really torn on this. They do have a point about the waste..BUT once it's become waste it can't possibly be SAFE to dig for and actually eat!!

I think these women are courageous for what they speak out about and what they do. However it's a lifestyle I don't see myself adjusting to.

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Happily married to my geek
Proud homeschooling, cloth diaperin, attached parenting, slinging, simplier, breastfeedin, sewing mama mades, christian and funky mama

A nurse I work with is somewhat of a Freegan. She earns about $45,000 a year, is debt free and has no children. She and her husband own about 350 acres and a 3 room camp at the top of a mountain in rural central pa. Her husband does not work outside the home, they feel tending to their property and animals is a full time job for him. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday she goes to 3 grocery stores and collects all the produce, dairy and bakery items they are throwing away. The employees in those departments meet her out back and help her load as much as 60 cases of food in her truck at each place (on separate days.)

She started out doing this to feed her 1900lb pet pig - once they saw there was nothing wrong with some of the stuff they started eating it. The pastries don't last long so they end up burning them in their wood stove - apparently the sugar puts off a lot of heat. Her husband no longer has to cut wood all summer to heat the house, they use only a few pieces a day to supplement the pastry - their food bill is almost nothing because of all the free food they get.

They can afford to live better but choose not to. They definitely live on the edge.

I don't do this all the time but I do do it from time to time.

Do you have any idea what stores throw away?!?!

I have seriously 10 gallons of raw honey... it was in the dumpster because one of the other containers opened during transport and the labels on the other containers were stickey, so into the trash they go. Nevermind the fact that it's perfect fine.

I have brought home cases of soda... one can gets dented or opened and the other 5 canof the 6 pack goes into the dumpster.

I have also brought home cases of organic fruit. Some to feed to my compost pile and worms, some I cut out a bruised part and make applesauce or whatever with it. Have you ever been opverseas and seen what people have to choose from in the market for fresh fruit and veggies? Most of the stuff through away because it's blemished is better than what you can buy in the markets of many European markets.

There is so much waste out there it's absoultely rediclous and it drives the prices up even higher in the store.

I saw his on a new special, dateline or 20/20 or something like that, at first I was kinda grossed out, but then I guess it makes some sense, although I do not do it and wouldn't know how to begin. But the show went on to tell about how many stores will put out the trash and have some bagged separately just for the freegans once the owners know they are coming. I think it is good, I mean, I am sure the food is just being wasted and how much different can that food be from the day old bread I get at the bakery outlet?

Ive read about this in magazines but I don't think i would be comfortable doing that.
We used to get scraps for the green grocer to feed the rabbits but eating it myself, I don't think I could.

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Melanie.
Mum to Lillianlee- 1st September 2006.

Monkey Mia's Savings... (my blog)

I definately think there is a lot of waste and I wish there was a way to make it work for more people...

As for European markets, we lived in Switzerland for two years, and I've been in stores and markets all over Europe and the produce was beautiful. Not blemished, bruised or rotten by any means! But perhaps that was just my experience.

I guess I am a little prejudice. Almost 10 years ago, I spent a winter in Santa Rosa, CA where my husband ran a store at the Santa Rosa Plaza. We spent a lot of time at the Plaze and in the food court (where I still am probably packing around the 10 pounds that I gained that winter). And at that time there were a group of younger people (some teens, some adults) and it was a pretty large size group of people, that would hang around the food court and wait until someone finished whatever they were eating and if that person left their plate on the table, this group of people would move in on it. There were even a few that were bold enough to go through the trash cans. It was disgusting and the mall security soon removed these people from the mall but it left quite the impression on my mind.

OMGoodness, that is gross Melsb.

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Melanie.
Mum to Lillianlee- 1st September 2006.

Monkey Mia's Savings... (my blog)

the thing is there is no need to go diggin through dumpsters. my dad is a proudce manager and he has a big box of bruised/semi rotten fruit that he keeps inthe store until the end of the day and if someone asks for it they get it, if not then it goes to garbage. he doesn't throw alot of it out, someone almost always wants it. the other departments in the store would do the same thing if someone asked them for the stuff. digging through the dumpsters isn't really neccessary or sanitary.

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Kimberley

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