How to Reduce Food Waste on the Farmstead

Try these methods to reduce and recycle food product waste

By Jenny Underwood
Updated on June 12, 2022
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by Adobestock/Gary Perkin

I would absolutely love to tell you that I’ve completely eliminated food waste on our farmstead, but unfortunately, that wouldn’t be true. I have, however, greatly reduced it and ultimately my goal is to continually do a better job. So how do you go about reducing it?

Eat Seasonally

I am not able to eat seasonally all the time yet but I strive more toward it each day. When my garden is producing, I substitute what I have for what I might ordinarily buy. This allows me to use my produce instead of it molding on my counter or in the refrigerator.

An example of this is we generally buy tomatoes for salads when my husband grocery shops. I didn’t put any on the list for an upcoming bimonthly trip to the store — even though our tomatoes hadn’t started producing yet, they were right on the cusp. I didn’t want to get a bag of tomatoes from the store and then start getting fresh ones a couple days later. One or the other would have gone to waste.

Cook Past-Their-Prime Vegetables in Stir Fry and Stews

This is one of the easiest and tastiest ways to use small bits or veggies that have gotten a bit soft. I also put things in a stir fry or stew that I might not prefer in large amounts but are delicious in moderation. Squash is that way for me. I do not care for it by itself but absolutely love it in stir fry or roasted veggies. Another easy way to use it up is on pizzas or in omelets.

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