Well it opened my eyes
- last night's programme: showing the actual amount/s of parsnips, carrots etc. that NEVER leave the farms in the UK
seeing it in piles made me realise how much hold the Supermarkets now have. Raised in a farming area where markets were held several times a week and always on a Sat., food production rarely crossed my mind; it was there. Meat, Game, Poultry; fruits, veg. and always seasonal. Most Dads I know grew veg. to supplement the pantry and mine went shooting for pigeons, duck, pheasants …….. chicken on a Sunday was a luxury! Wet fish man arrived on a Friday or we bought from the market.
Then the supermarkets, other than the International Stores, arrived. Offering 'contracts' to farmers which seemed a good idea at the time, however
. Three years ago friends who farm pumpkins for a certain UK chain were offered an amount to set and grow …… the Supermarket Rep arrived in the Sept to offer less than the agreed rate stating that he could go elsewhere. Well friends knew that they were the only growers for 40 miles so told him to stick his offer where the sun doesn't shine. Two days later same Rep came back …….. to be told that the pumpkins had been sold elsewhere. At the farm gate actually although that didn't get rid of them all.
Left overs, as discussed here before, were inventive if nothing else. It does seem that the man in the street no longer knows how to make something out of nowt - and don't get me started on sell/use by dates
40 tonnes of parsnips wasted on 1 farm alone …….. a WEEK! Have any of you been asked whether you are worried about the shape of your spuds/carrots/parsnips/cabbages? Interesting comment during the programme that when there was a spud shortage in the UK, 2009 and 2012, odd shapes were allowed onto the shelves and there were NO complaints from the customer. The UK didn't need to import spuds, the supermarkets simply accepted what was on offer from the farms.
We try to buy from farms, particularly sacks of potatoes for less than a kilo will cost in the store ……… we grow as many carrots and parsnips as possible but this year germination was poor
. DH is harvesting celeriac so the garden smells lovely
. We make our own compost which goes back onto the garden now and in the Spring - since we moved here in the 1980s, the garden is 5" higher than the patio!
It was interesting to see how much clothing was illegally put into the council land fill bins
at a time when there are charity shops on every corner and when migrants might well require good clothing. Interesting too to see 'round' a recycling plant …… to the end result, including clothing from plastic bags and a cycle from reclaimed steel. It can be done!
I will be joining in Hugh's campaign as much as possible …… we talked after and agreed that we rarely throw food into the bin as we home compost, only cook what we require each evening and use 'left overs' wisely. Even bones
. Any milk that is 'over' goes to any cat which calls by ……. cheese with mould (our guiltiest along with not eating up pate) is frozen for the wild birds in very cold weather.
Anyone else joining in? [end of rant
]
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Topic: Hugh Fearnley-whittingstall - war on waste (rant alert) LOL (Read 9790 times)