I just about passed out when I saw all the free produce boxes this week.
For those of you who don’t know already, this all started a little over a year ago when I walked in to our local grocery store and asked one of the produce guys {whom I refer to as Mr. Produce Guy} if I could stop by once a week and pick up some vegetable scraps for my chickens.
Although he was a little hesitant at first, he finally agreed {others had promised to pick up scraps but never showed, or they would come only a handful of times and then stop coming and leave him with rotting produce sitting in the back}.
Since then, {with the exception of a few times when we were on vacation}, we have picked up the produce as agreed to each week {I’ve always let him know ahead of time if I was not going to be able to pick it up}.
The salvaged produce we bring home is taken off the shelf the same morning we pick it up. The produce is simply the cast offs from the produce department as they re-stock their shelves and pick over their produce for their customers each morning.
After all fresh, quality produce sells. Bruised, expired, and moldy berries do not.
For those of you wondering why don’t they just pick through the containers and pull out the stuff that’s still edible, the answer is easy. It’s more cost productive for the store to just throw it away.
Some stores compost their produce, some are willing to give it to food banks if they will pick it up, and others simply toss it in a dumpster. Each store if different.
My store lets me pick up the scraps. And I’m grateful. I cannot imagine how much all of this food would have cost had my family if I would have had to pay for it.
~Mavis
Would you like to see what else we have brought home over the past year?
Head on over HERE to read all the past stories and to see all the pictures.
If you have just stumbled upon this series and are wondering how I got all this food for free, you’ll want to read this story first.
MaryBeth says
I think this is one of the most impressive hauls you’ve had yet. At least recently enough for me to actually remember. All those blueberries and raspberries. Totally jealous!
Kathy says
There is a local store here that actually composts the old produce. I emailed the home office a few weeks back, after getting my backbone and the courage to do so and guess what? I’m picking up my first installment of free “chicken scraps” this week. If I remember, I will let you know how that goes. Thanks for letting us all know once again!
Lisa says
Yay Kathy! Can’t wait to see what you get. 🙂
Lisa G says
Hey, I was thinking of doing this where I live, any tips for how to ask? I’m really nervous!
Jennifer says
Not that I think you need anything else to do, but would be interesting for you to weigh the stuff you all eat. Very curious as to what you do with all the pineapple you bought and ‘acquired’!
Danielle O. says
Jennifer, If I had all that pineapple, I imagine I’d chunk & freeze a bunch for smoothies, dehydrate some pineapple rings for snacks & cracking into trail mix & can a bunch in chunks for summer kabobs or Hawaiian/Sweet n Sour crock pot dishes all winter long when I’m feeling a little need for summer.
But that’s just me 😉 What ARE you going to do with all the pineapples, Mavis?
Jenna says
This is beautiful. Around a year ago I started doing the same thing in Baltimore, via Baltimore Free Farm. There’s reclaimed space in the city where they grow food in community gardens and also get drop offs from food distributors. Most of the time the produce is super ripe and organic (with stickers) to boot. Such an amazing money-saver.
Nancy D says
Wowsa! Do I see cherries? Regular price for all this must be way over $50!
Kathy says
Sams Stores are NOT PERMITTED to give wasting/older vegetation. Such a waste. I have tortoises, and they REALLY EAT a LOT in the summer heat. Hard enough to feed the kids, let alone dogs, fish, bunnies, Guineas, … ! Luckily a woman down the street regularly brings us cases of veggies from local market. They give it to her FOR US, but will not give it to us… guess even at the corner market, it’s WHO YOU KNOW!!!
Anke Pietsch says
Oh, I am soooo jealous. I have asked at several stores now, and so far not much luck. Some are “not allowed to give it away, it’s company policy…blabla…” and at one other store he said, he can legally only “sell it to me for 10 cents a bag, so when I pick up the stuff I ended up with the half moldy leaves of lettuce, spinach and kale that me chickens weren’t thrilled about and I basically payed 50 cents for compost… 🙁
I guess its going to be dumpster diving after all… 🙁
Practical Parsimony says
My dumpster diving never netted rotten food. I regularly got $75 to $150 each week from dumpster diving at one store. I ate well.
Lisa says
You struck gold with those cherries and blueberries!! Awesome day!
Julie Ann says
Although the only local store to allow secondary distribution has me pay for the bag of “chicken scraps”, I have yet to see such handsome leftovers the likes of which you collect, Mavis. I have to pick through a nearly 50# bag of packaging trash/cardboard boxes/lost cause rotten & moldy produce, I still manage to find edible treasures. 🙂 I’m good with that.
Cathy says
Holy Canolies, Batman! You hit the jackpot!!!
Mavis says
I know!!! 🙂 It was like a tropical paradise. 🙂
Lauren says
Hi Mavis
Did you know you can grow pineapples from the cut off tops?
Not sure about your climate but might work in the green house.
Mavis says
That might be fun to try. Thanks Lauren!