On average, the U.S. wastes an estimated 125 to 160 billion pounds of food each year. In 2019, an enormous 35% of all food in the United States went unsold or uneaten. That’s $408 billion worth of food – roughly 2% of U.S. GDP – with a greenhouse gas footprint equivalent to 4% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. The #1 material in America’s landfills is food waste. We bury so much organic waste that landfills are now the third-largest source of climate-damaging methane emissions in the United States. With 14% of the world's fresh water supply being wasted on uneaten food, agriculture in the U.S. accounts for about 80% to 90% of the nation’s water consumption.
Community Supported Agriculture refers to a group whose members receive weekly shares of food from a certain farm (or groups of farms) in their region. The concept of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) membership began more than fifty years ago as organic family-run farms realized that a new local delivery system was necessary. This new direct connection between the farm and its customers would significantly enhance the understanding and appreciation for growing and harvesting high-quality organic foods that are environmentally conscious. But good quality seasonal food is expensive. As a result, some courageous and innovative farmers decided to eliminate the costly middle-man and bring the savings directly to the consumer. This Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program concept has enabled many locally operated farms throughout the U.S. to stay in operation and to provide the highest quality local, sustainable, and certified organic produce for the everyday consumer. The model that CSA has created involves a set fee for the growing season in exchange for a weekly delivery or pick up of organic vegetables and small fruit. Under the loose organizational umbrella of CSA, some 2,000 farms are now supplying between 250,000 and 500,000 people with fresh, local food during harvest season
What does “eating seasonally” mean? It means you buy foods that are being grown and harvested locally right now. It does not mean buying “fresh” green beans in January when you live in New England shipped in from far away places. By buying seasonally, you guarantee that the food is local. You’re not harming the environment by shipping the food thousands of miles. You also are guaranteeing that you get the freshest, most nutritious, and tastiest food available. If you want to learn more about what eating seasonally looks like for you, check out this site that allows you to look up seasonal produce based on your state (right now chives, horseradish, and mint are top 3 in Massachusetts!), https://www.seasonalfoodguide.org/.
As students at Northeastern we are lucky enough to have a great food sustainability advocacy resource, the Slow Food organization at Northeastern University. Slow Food Northeastern University (Slow Food NU) is a group of socially conscious learners, advocates, and eaters. Slow Food NU promotes an increased awareness of the interconnectedness of food, the environment, and human health. Slow Food NU works to increase consciousness about the food system and its relation to social justice through deliberate and meaningful service projects, educational events, and transformative dialogue. These efforts establish and sustain lasting relationships with like-minded student groups (like Composting at Northeastern University, CANU), organizations, and initiatives throughout Northeastern’s campus and surrounding Boston neighborhoods. At our weekly meetings for Slow Food NU we have a different themed potluck each week which cultivates a fun and inclusive community. Some of the past themes have included; favorite movie munchies, food from our favorite cuisine, go-to lunch items, tropical dishes, cooking with food scraps, and favorite candy. We start by having a potluck then the e-board members give a short presentation about the week’s issue. If you believe that food should be good for you, good for the environment, and good for the people who produce it you would be a great fit for Slow Food NU!
One organization that Slow Food NU has partnered with is CSA through Heaven’s Harvest Farm. Heaven’s Harvest is a local farm in New Braintree, Massachusetts which provides farm shares to many communities in the Boston area. As a Northeastern student, you can sign up to have a weekly box of fresh produce delivered to your campus. All you do is pay for the season’s boxes and then pick them up every Wednesday at the Social Justice Resource Center. The SJRC is in the downstairs of 106 St. Stephens Street and pickup is available from 1pm onwards on Wednesday’s.
The prices for the boxes are as follows: Small box (for 2 to 3 people) – $35/week. Medium box (for 3 to 4 people) – $45/week. Large box (for 4 to 5 people) – $55/week. Yes, those seem like large numbers, but if you share with friends you will definitely be saving money over comparable grocery store veggies. To sign up, visit http://www.heavensharvestfarm.com/csa-sign-up and if you have any questions about CSA, please come to a Slow Food NU meeting (Tuesday’s from 6-7pm in 014 International Village) or contact them at slowfoodnu@gmail.com. Happy conscious eating!
MLA Citations
“FAQ.” Heavens Harvest Farm, https://www.heavensharvestfarm.com/faq.
Kanchwala, Rozina. “Food Waste and Climate Connection.” Eco.Logic, Eco.Logic, 11 Jan. 2022, https://www.ecologicprograms.org/blog/foodwasteproblem?utm_source=google%3Futm_medium&gclid=CjwKCAiAgbiQBhAHEiwAuQ6BklcwZ0bX4Kz-k0b3QtMPGQ8N2Eqis9vbHxod1pSfXuyzjj11D8RCOBoCHPMQAvD_BwE.
Seasonal Food Guide, https://www.seasonalfoodguide.org/.
Synoracki, Olivia. “6 Reasons Why We Waste so Much Food (and How We Can Stop).” Conservation Law Foundation, 19 May 2021, https://www.clf.org/blog/why-we-waste-food/?gclid=CjwKCAiAgbiQBhAHEiwAuQ6BkiYmvuBiWNv2-2D3xcruIRYW8J-_GEPU-Eq92qn7OcHdwukK2rtvlRoC5VIQAvD_BwE.
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