Brandon Denney

City of College Park, MD Declares Official Food Recovery Day

Due to all of the hard work and advocacy of our network, the city of College Park, Maryland - the location of our flagship chapter -  has officially declared June 13, 2017 Food Recovery Network Day, on behalf of College Park, MD mayor, Patrick L. Wojahn. This first-ever proclamation for FRN encourages, “... all of our residents to recognize Food Recovery Network for the significant impact they have made, and continue to make, as a critical factor in the fight against food waste and hunger.”

Our Executive Director, Regina Northouse notes, “This recognition from the City of College Park is special because it gives credit to the tireless efforts of our student-led movement across the country to prevent food waste and ensure food gets to those who need it most. Our students are amazing and it means a lot to be honored in this way.”

In addition to our network’s current summer accomplishments, we have reason to celebrate the accomplishments of last spring: FRN recovered exactly 338,111.34 pounds of food, or 280,822.70 meals. This is, by far, the most food recovered by our network in a single semester. We’re thrilled at how far we’ve come in the food waste fight, and we’re excited about the future of the organization as we continue to advocate, inform, and act on behalf of food justice.

Read the full proclamation below. We would also love to hear from you if you have questions or FRN stories to share!

5 FRNds-olutions for 2017!

You made it! The holidays are over and 2017 is here! We’re about a week in,and so many of you may be well on your way to making (or breaking) your resolutions.

The term “resolution” is well overdue for a makeover: it’s a term that reflexively brings to mind half-hearted self-improvement kicks - no matter how many resolutions people successfully stick with throughout the entire year.

One way to assist with the completion of your resolutions is to anchor them to a larger movement.  Here at FRN, we’re doing that through the lens of food recovery. If you’re starting to falter on those resolutions already, see if you can factor a few of these into your everyday life!

1. GET A FRIEND TO START A CHAPTER

Normal Resolution:  Keep in touch with long distance friends.

It’s true that reconnecting with a friend can be a little anxiety-inducing, especially over the phone. With that being said, FRN can be a wonderful conversation starter.

If your friend is currently going to college, see if their school has an established chapter of FRN. If you feel comfortable with doing so, suggest that they get involved with an existing club or start one of their own!

2. DATA UP

Normal Resolutions:  Fight "fake news", add items to your reading list.

Ah, fake news. One can only hope that this trend follows Myspace’s lead – that is, become lost to the sands of time. Forever.

One way to combat this trend is to become well versed in the statistics and data surrounding food waste, food recovery, and other poverty-fighting initiatives.

If you’re already involved with FRN, it’s likely that you’re already familiar with the statistic that 40% of all food produced in the U.S. is wasted, while 1 in 7 individuals go hungry every night. As leaders in the food recovery realm, it’s our responsibility to do a deep dive and learn about the myriad of statistics surrounding food recovery.

ReFed, the National Resource Defense Council, and  FRN’s End of Year Report are all excellent resources for no-nonsense reports of food recovery.

3. EAT LEFTOVERS

Normal Resolution: Keep your room tidy.

When it comes to roommates, I’ve met some amazing people – one of whom I consider to be a life-long friend. With that being said, I’ve met those who’ve enjoyed turning the refrigerator into a science experiment with expired food.

To avoid being “that roommate,” consider finishing the leftover food from the night before. Not only are you saving money and eating perfectly good food, but your roommates will love you forever.

If you have a roommate that violates the “no mold in the fridge” rule, it might be time to have a talk with them. While this can be uncomfortable to bring up, setting boundaries about cleanliness can help your relationship in the long-term.

 

4. HOST AN EVENT ON CAMPUS:  

Normal Resolution: Have a greater presence on your college campus.

This one’s a no-brainer. If your team has the capacity to do so, take a look at the many opportunities to expand your FRN chapter’s presence on campus!

Want to recruit, fundraise, and promote goodwill during chilly weather? We recommend a hot chocolate drive!

5. LOVE UGLY FRUIT

Normal Resolution:  Learn to cook.

The benefits in learning how to cook are endless. In addition to eating healthier, impressing your significant other, and learning a cool skill, you can utilize food that might otherwise be thrown away!

Source reduction is the most effective form of food recovery. Annually, sixty million tons of perfectly edible food never makes it from the farm to store shelves because the produce:

  • Is oddly shaped / too big / too small
  • Will not be ripe during the transportation process

-or-

  • Has small blemishes that consumers may find unappealing.

You can purchase “ugly” produce at your local farmer’s market or supermarkets. By financially incentivizing so-called “ugly” produce, you’re helping create a market for source reduction of food waste.

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To all of our FRNds, here’s to a wonderful, recovery-filled 2017. With your help, we’ll be able to reach 2 million pounds of recovered food in no time!

 

"Grow Food": The Perfect Blend of Urban Gardening and Hip-Hop

To the casual viewer, the joys of harvesting vegetables and hip hop may seem like an unusual pairing. One view of Appetite For Change’s “Grow Food” will put that notion to rest.

 

Hitting the sweet spot between “incredibly inspiring” and “ridiculously catchy”, “Grow Food” was was directed by Chancellor Tha Beast in collaboration with Beats & Rhymes, and features volunteers and students involved with Appetite for Change, a North Minneapolis “community-led organization that strengthens families, creates economic prosperity, and encourages healthy living.”  

As a Program Fellow for Food Recovery Network, fan of hip hop, and amateur gardener, I was blown away by this video. Curious about its development (and the genius behind it), I immediately reached out to Appetite’s Development and Communications Manager, Molly Cherland.

According to Cherland, the video was the final project of their Summer 2016 Youth Employment & Training Program, which develops student’s knowledge about urban farming knowledge, encouraging employment readiness skills in the process.

“The youth in our program wanted to share their message - the importance of actively choosing healthy foods - with their peers in a fun, accessible music format,” explains Cherland.

The foundation of hip hop lies in social justice, pride in one’s community, and the detailing of inequality in the artist’s surroundings. Naturally, this genre is fertile ground for the topic of food deserts: geographic regions where the community lack access to grocery stores due to a number of factors, including transportation, low-incomes, and the absence of grocery stores within walking distances. However, communities across the country are developing grassroots solutions to increase access to healthy food within food deserts. Detroit, Chicago, NYC, DC, and Tucson are just a few examples of communities that are developing urban space for community gardening.

 

What makes “Grow Food” stand out from its contemporaries is that not only is their message relevant, but it’s a great song. In spite of their age, the volunteers in the video are incredibly talented (read: they can spit bars). During the age of Top-40 mumble rap, “Grow Food” is a breath of fresh air. Consequently, people are taking notice. They’ve been featured on VH1’s blog, as well as given a shout-out on Nick Cannon’s Instagram.

 

It's been thrilling to see our video gain momentum!” says Cherland. “We're a very small staff, so there's a definite sense of camaraderie and shared success with the video going viral. Keeping up with the media has been a bit of challenge, but it's such an exciting time that we're working hard to share our message as widely as possible.”

-- Brandon Denney, Program Fellow