Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
by Carie Moore
What a week, or month, or year? I’m not quite sure yet. This month is supposed to be filled with class visits and talking to students about food waste and food need. That's not happening. But my heart is full because it only took a matter of hours after school closures to address getting food to students due to the fact that for many, school is their source of nourishment as well as education. The other students in the class don’t quite understand that it happens. I still need to educate, and we still need to be aware of the importance for an adequate food supply. But it is great to see people are aware and do care, and hopefully they are helping explain it to their children and neighbors.
Who knew that a global epidemic would show us that even though we question people and their motives a lot of the time, the truth is that people care about people. People care about other people’s children. People care about food, where it comes from, and how it gets to them, and how to get it to others.
As many states head into quarantine, food need is reaching its peak and food is in high demand and low supply. People are purchasing necessities to get them through the closures of restaurants, schools, jobs, and limited public outings. Food waste is going to be on a lot of people’s minds because perishable products like meats, veggies, produce, and dairy are all flying off the shelves and will only last so long in the fridge or on the counter.
Use those foods in meals that you can freeze and reuse in another week as a throw-in-the-oven meal. Or make a list of meals you can create with what you did purchase and have them written on the fridge so you can pull one out of the freezer to throw together one night. These are all ways you can make use of what you purchased and not let it rot or freeze, thaw, freeze then throw away.
With families home these days, you can always have a smorgasbord lunch in the middle of the week of what you had for supper a couple nights. This should please all the kids, which pleases mom! Things like chili and BBQs are always better the second time around. Left over soups can have noodles, potatoes, and/or rice added and made into a hotdish you sprinkle with cheese and throw some tator tots on top!
Should we take bets on how long before we have to start using cloth diapers again?!?
Carie is the District 4 Promotion and Education Committee member, a mother. She farms near Rocklake, N.D.