Here's a recent article I wrote for the Countryside Farmers' Market to introduce the new program I've been working in called ......Waste Not , want not….
What does this phrase actually mean? The proverbial saying was first recorded in 1772 but had an earlier, even more alliterative version from 1576, “willful waste makes woeful want.” Many of us whose parents, grandparents or great grandparents grew up during the World War I & II expressed this idiom as a way of survival. The government depicted this intention through a variety of inspirational posters posters directing citizens to act with phrases like “Use it up & wear it out” or Save perishable foods by preserving now.
Looking for more current versions of the expression Wikipedia defined waste not as – “If we are not wasteful of our resources (that we currently have), we still have them in the future.” But my personal favorite in researching was direct and to the point – “Waste and want; save and have”.
More importantly what does this all mean for the Countryside Farmers’ Markets? “Waste Not” is a program modeled after the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture’s,(CUESA) Waste Wise program in California. This program was developed to get as close to zero waste as possible and our Waste Not program has been designed to divert 90% of our market’s waste by 2012. This will allow us to walk the talk of sustainability decreasing the amount of Ohio land needed for landfills while keeping that land available for farming. Waste Not will accomplish this goal by educating you and our community to Buy Thoughtfully, Cook Carefully and Waste Less. As part of the program each market will have a designated “Waste Not” booth with educational materials and tools geared towards recycling, shopping wiser, minimizing cooking waste, composting, and repurposing. We will feature topics throughout the season akin to “What to do with your pumpkins after Halloween” and “Christmas tree’s – How to purchase and dispose of after the holiday.” We’re very excited about the Waste Not program and look forward to the opportunity to be a resource for reducing waste in our communities.
