It must have been a slow week in the organic section because this week we were able to pick up 4 boxes of chicken scraps from Mr. Produce Guy. There was a huge box of organic grapes and 11 pounds of organic bananas to recover, as well as strawberries and lettuce.
The Girl and I divided up the lettuce, soft pears, overripe melon and a few bags of grapes between our chickens and Girly Girls hens.
Over the past few weeks I’ve noticed our birds are not eating as much of their feed as they normally do. I’m not sure if it’s because the days are getting shorter and they are not outside as much, or if it’s because we have been keeping less of the produce for ourselves, and giving more to the chickens.
No matter how you look at it, the boxes of free produce have been a blessing. We get free food, the chickens get fresh fruits and vegetables, and our feed costs are way down over last year. Life is good!
Have you tried asking your local grocery store, produce stand, or farm for their scraps? Have you had success? Been turned down? Do you have any tips for others?
Would you like to see what else we have brought home over the past 8 months?
Head on over HERE to read all the past stories and to see all the pictures.
Melissa says
How did you go about asking for it? I know it sounds stupid, but I’m feel werid asking and them saying no.
Mavis says
Don’t feel stupid. I just went in and asked the produce manager. You never know unless you try. 🙂
Debra says
OK, so not to belabor the point but what did you say to the produce manager when you asked?
Mavis says
I just told him we had a bunch of chickens and asked him if I could have their produce scraps once a week. I promised I’d pick them up and would not flake on them. That’s it. 🙂
Emlyn Hinson says
It is amazing the fruit and vegetables that you get that would have otherwise been thrown in the dumpster! As far as us asking, I don’t (unfortunately) have chickens, so I feel like I shouldn’t ask. I sure wish I knew someone around here who had chickens that I could give the scraps to!
Deb Miller says
I have asked an no one around here will let us have any scraps, which is a bummer. I just asked the produce manager in the stores here, what they did with the produce that was not good enough for the shelf. I would like some scraps for my chickens. They all told me the same thing, the health department here will not allow them to give the food to anyone it has to be trashed.
Hey Mavis, those berries and bananas would make a great strawberry banana butter. I recently made banana butter and it is beyond delish.
Mavis says
Seriously? I have never heard of banana butter before. Sounds delish!
Deb Miller says
It is, google sure jell banana butter recipe, it is on the kraft site. I added a
little more pectin than it called for so it would firm up more.
leslie says
I asked and they gave me a similar response about the health board. I don’t have chickens but I have friends that do, so I feel ok about it. I do see them throwing things away in a garbage can when I’m in the produce section. It makes me sick. I guess I’ll keep trying.
Susan Blesh says
I have tried at several bigger stores, and they have told me they are not allowed to give me expired produce. One store claims they compost it, but I have a feeling they are calling their dumpster the compost bin. I just went in and asked for the produce manager, said I know it may sound strange, but that I have chickens at home and would love the opportunity to take their week old produce off their hands. So far, no luck. If you have suggestions on how else to ask, I am open to them! Thanks.
Danielle O. says
We live in the heart of suburbia & in a town full of ritzy Boeing employees…. That being said, the grocery stores are not open to the idea. I’m waiting until we move out to Monroe. It seems a smaller community & independent grocers might be more open to the idea. Plus once we move out there… I can finally get me some chickens! XD — No such luck in these parts. We don’t have a yard (front or back!) & I wouldn’t want my poor dears to have to forage in the parking lot >_O
Missy says
We have a small produce market here. I asked and they were more than willing to pass on the “trims”. Everyday at noon they release all if the trims first come first serve. Though I usually only get lettuce, I’m trying to get brave enough to ask for fruit. Since I’ve only brought home lettuce so far I actually do turn everything over to the chickens. They love it!
Jesse says
That health department thing is a myth! I read a book called “Wasted” about the food waste epidemic in America. Decades ago a law was passed that food given away by grocery stores in good faith cannot be held against them if someone gets sick. I am sure you won’t be able to convice anyone to change thier attitudes about it but it should not be an issue.
Becky says
I have made attempts at all of the grocery stores around where we live, though there are some independent grocers not terribly far from us that I was going to try. (And no I do not have chickens, but I would like to have chickens, I think.)
Lisa says
Wow – you hit the jackpot this week! I rarely get strawberries or banana’s.
Lissa says
All of the large chain grocery stores here told me that the food bank picks up the produce discards daily. So that’s great!
I did find a smaller co-op type chain that composts all their produce discards. They put all the pulled discards into big bins in the produce storage area and then once a shift dump it into their compost bins out back. Anyone can come and pull stuff from the bins in the storage area (before it gets dumped into the compost bins), they just don’t hold things for specific people.
This week was quiet: 5 heads romaine (gave 3 to a neighbor with a tortoise) and 2 containers of cherry tomatoes. I hit the co-op after they had dumped their bins – doh!
Debra says
Jesse – thanks for posting about the law! Thanks to Mavis, I have been wanting to approach my local grocery stores (to prepare for getting chickens and rabbits) and now I’m glad I know the law. Here is a link http://www.foodtodonate.com/Fdcmain/LegalLiabilities.aspx (It is the “Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act”, signed into law in 1996 by President Clinton.) Apparently many states have similar statutes. I recently had commented to a grocery clerk who was tossing a lot of beautiful produce into a barrel lined with a garbage bag. He said the health department precluded them from giving the food to humans. Seems bogus to me. Apparently the Albertson’s chain participates in food donations.
subienkow says
Seeing the browned bananas in the box, do you do banana cake? I skip the walnuts and throw in chocolate chips.
Christine says
I can’t believe you toyed with “breaking-up” with your produce guy. Those boxes are awesome, so jealous!
Framing Fowl says
I haven’t asked for produce because we recently moved and I just got a few hens a week ago. But when hunting season rolled around, we called all the local butchers and game processors and asked if they ever had hunters who enjoyed hunting but didn’t want the meat. We were turned down by several but had one small place say they’d keep us in mind. So far, they’ve given us two deer for about 120 lbs in meat.
Mavis says
HOLY.COW.
Framing Fowl says
We also check craigslist frequently. A week ago, we got 4 free meat chickens because someone didn’t want to process them and they were eating too much feed. They were huge and provided us with over 40 lbs of meat.
We also got our laying flock that I referred to for free because someone was having problems with coons and scheduled for surgery and didn’t want to deal with it over the winter. We processed 3 that we found out were egg eaters for another 10 lbs of meat and now have 9 nice layers providing us with eggs.
These things are not regular occurrences though. I’m glad I stumbled across your site so I can learn more about making reclaimed food a consistent part of our lives!
Angela says
I’m so loving this! I live in NY and I’m seeing that a lot of people are getting turned down for this. I’m hoping b/c I live in a rural location that I might be able to get something from one of the small grocers here (Big M and a small market both locally owned). Of course as there are a lot of farms around here… I might be out of luck. Now its just getting the courage to ask! I know i know… all they can say is no…
Tisha says
Thanks to your blog, I have been getting huge boxes of scraps for our chickens (and for ourselves!) for more than 2 months. Our local store was very good about it, they were primarily just concerned that I wouldn’t pick up what they saved for me. I always pick up at the time I say I will, so we have a great relationship now! They do charge me – $2/box which is still a HUGE savings. It is fun for myself and my 7 kids to sort through the boxes and figure out what we can use for ourselves, what we will pass along to the birds, and what we can make for dinner with it. The chickens are happy girls also!
Thank you for giving us the idea!
Mavis says
Way to go. I would gladly pay $2 a box as well. 🙂