The Feed

I think we can all agree that keeping kids fed, especially while they’re at school, is incredibly important, and crucial for learning. It’s why we’ve seen so many states adopt free school meals for students regardless of their economic demographics. As of April 2024, 8 states have policies in practice regarding free school meals, with Colorado having adopted the Healthy School Meals for All Program just this school year! There are an additional 28 states that have similar legislation in the works, or just recently passed. This level of popularity and agreement across so many states demonstrates how much we care about keeping kids fed. 

Why then, is there a drafted Federal budget for 2025  proposing the elimination of the Community Eligibility Provision from the School Lunch Program? For those who may be unfamiliar with Community Eligibility Provision, it is a program that allows the nation’s low income schools and districts to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students, without the need to collect individual household applications.  In this budget, it is proposed that the Community Eligibility Provision be cut, and only those who are financially eligible for Free and Reduced Lunch through the National School Lunch Program application receive meals at no cost throughout the school year. 

It might seem like this would be a good idea to reduce federal costs to only provide for those who are explicitly below the federal level of poverty; however, we already know that there are 1 in 6 people currently who are eligible for public benefits such as SNAP who are not enrolled, and thus are not utilizing the assistance they are entitled to. This tells us that eligibility alone for the program does not mean that people will receive their needed access to nutrition. Food insecurity continues to rise, with 11.2% of Coloradans not having enough to meet their nutritional needs, 25% of whom are children.

The “why” behind this proposed cut is stated to be preventing “widespread fraud.” The citation is coming from this report, which states that there is a higher rate of students using FRL programs than there were rates of improper payment, or the number of kids who were not able to pay for their meals in full, or pay off any balance owed to the school for meals, in schools. However, this report is older than the Healthy School Meals for All Program, which ensures that all kids in an eligible school can eat for free and thus have better cognition, which leads to improved performance in school. The citation doesn’t make sense as an argument to punish kids who need access to nutrition, especially when the need is so blatantly evident. 

Here in Colorado, Healthy School Meals for All has been a massive success. Every eligible district has enrolled in the program, and there has been a 36% increase in breakfast and 31% increase in lunch provided to students. With food costs continuing to rise, with a projection of yet another price hike, these programs can be what makes or breaks a family’s budget. On average, a family saves $1,250 per child each year because of Healthy School Meals for All. 

If you’d like to show your support for keeping school kids fed, please contact your representatives. This form will send an email to applicable representatives to show your support for Healthy School Meals for All. 

Today is America Recycles Day, and we couldn’t be happier to celebrate a day highlighting sustainability! Our great state of Colorado has made some large strides to prioritize sustainability initiatives in the last few years. One example is that Colorado was one of six municipalities in the country that made changes toward stricter recycling processes at the beginning of the year. 

The primary focus was the reduction of single-use plastics through the implementation of a 10-cent fee on plastic bags across the state, and the banning of polystyrene containers for food-related businesses. This was just the first  step in a multiyear-long plan to boost the state’s overall recycling rate.

Currently, Colorado is a state with an incredibly low rate of recycling. We are at a surprising 16% recycling rate, compared to the national average of 32%. This has been a major motivator to implement a statewide free recycling program for households. Because this program has a few years until its rollout, we figured we could share some facts and bust some recycling myths to celebrate America Recycles day. 

• You may wonder if some uncommon household objects you want to get rid of are recyclable. A broken lightbulb, leftover paint, batteries, old chargers, the list goes on! The city of Denver has created a guide, where you can type in what it is you’re trying to recycle, and it will tell you what that process looks like. 
• There’s a myth that recycling isn’t worth the effort because most of what’s sent out isn’t actually recycled. Over 90% of what is sent to Materials Recovery Facilities, known as MRF’s (the facilities that process materials to be recycled) is recycled, and is sold within North America. 
• The United States annually recycles enough iron and steel scrap metals (known as ferrous scrap), by weight, to build more than 900 Golden Gate Bridges — a bridge stretching nearly 9,000 feet.
• Recycling is good for the economy! In a study by U.S. Recycling Economic Information Study (REI), the US Recycling Industry employed 1.25 million people whereas the US Solid Waste Management industry employed only 0.25 million people. 

Here at We Don’t Waste we educate our community on the full lifecycle of food, and how to prevent all kinds of waste be kind to our planet. While reducing waste at the source and reusing products are ideal, it is important to remember that recycling is the next best alternative for sustainability. 

When it comes to organic waste products, recycling inedible food isn’t really an option, but composting is! Learn more about how to get started composting on our blog.

Fungi, mushrooms, mycelium, and food. Maybe you don’t associate all of these things together (or maybe you do, and you’re thinking of the terrifying reality of The Last of Us, currently airing on HBO), but the future of managing food waste and creating a more sustainable food system is intrinsically tied to fungi. Rest assured, fungi won’t be turning anyone into zombies any time soon, but they will be incorporated into more aspects of our food system. 

So why fungi? Not quite animal and not quite plant, fungi is an incredibly complex living system of threads connecting trees and foliage across miles and miles of land. It’s the communication network of the natural world, and vital in transferring nutrients across biomes and keeping soil viable. Fungi also produce a fruit, known as mushrooms. 

Edible mushrooms are a great source of iron, zinc, and vitamin B-12, and take little resource input for major nutritional output. They can’t replace meat entirely as a protein source, but fungi are a terrific choice to incorporate into any diet in regard to resource preservation. Not only are mushrooms great as a food, but soon they will be a great addition to your food. 

A food technology startup out of Israel, Mush Food, is adding fungi to meat in a 50/50 combination that preserves and enhances the flavors and texture of meat that carnivores crave while reducing the ecological footprint of meat in half. The product they are developing, 50CUT, effectively mimics the meat it is combined with, “Once you add 50CUT to ground beef, it acts like a sponge and absorbs all the water, juiciness, fat, aromatic compounds, and assumes the visual appearance of the beef. From the full organoleptic and nutritional perspectives, 50CUT functions as the perfect complement to beef, enhancing its taste.”

Leather made from Reishi mushrooms.

What about fungi’s ability to grow into predefined molds? It’s a resilient and malleable thing, so biotechnologist Akram Zamani and her team are using fungi to break down food waste and turn the result into something brand new! Food produces an immense amount of greenhouse gases when it rots in a landfill, and decomposing food makes up a majority of the product found in U.S. landfills. By utilizing the fungus Rhizopus delemar and stale bread crumbs, Zamani’s team was able to turn the gelatinous product into yarn to spin into fabrics and create synthetic leather.

The fungi are grown underground, using minimal land, energy, and water, and as you’ll read in a moment, using fungi’s incredible ability to grow into a mold, it grows to mimic the rich umami texture and flavor of its partnered beef. Sound weird? It is, but when this (eventually, give it a few years) hits the consumer market, give it a try! It’s a low-impact way to enjoy meat in a way that’s more natural than any of the other beef alternatives on the market. 

There is already one business on the market, Mycoworks, producing ready-to-buy product from fungi alternatives. From consumer reports, this vegan leather matches, if not exceeds, the quality and aesthetic of its competition. While mycelium (the threads of fungi that create the frame in which the vegan leather is made) won’t be replacing cows or plastic alternatives any time soon, the plant leather has made a splash with its incomparable production speed and sustainability. 

While We Don’t Waste works hard to recover local food excess, there is not much we can do about the bits and pieces of inedible food that slip through the cracks in your home or in your office. Imagine a future where food waste could be picked up, and turned not only into compost, but into clothing and furniture indistinguishable from its animal-borne or plastic counterparts. How exciting! Fewer greenhouse gas emissions from food in our landfills, and responsible, low-climate-impact items for use every day. Just from your food scraps!

As a food, mushrooms are an awesome addition to a diet, and as a tool, fungi are key in breaking down food waste and unsustainable production practices. It’s an exciting time in the growth and development in sustainable food system practices. 

Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and for those of us fortunate enough to enjoy a tasty Thanksgiving meal, it can be a holiday that produces immense waste if you are not careful. The US Chamber of Commerce Foundation estimates that around 172 million pounds of turkey, 40 million pounds of mashed potatoes, and 30 million pounds of stuffing will head into trash cans in a single day.

We’ve put together some tips so you can enjoy Thanksgiving, without worrying about the negative effects of throwing away the food you worked so hard to prepare! After all, it’s not just the food that is wasted, but the water, labor, energy, and resources as well! 

Plan Ahead

There are few things more delicious than leftovers at Thanksgiving, but nothing more sour than having to throw away pounds of food after you have spent hours preparing it!

Make a list of the food items and sides you will be preparing. If you’re having guests, make sure everyone knows what they are bringing. This will help prevent impulse buys or overstocking on ingredients you might not even use. 

Practice the pound-per-person rule when picking out a turkey. Each person will likely eat around a pound of turkey the day of. If you want leftovers, aim for a pound and a half per person.

Prepare With Scraps In Mind

As you trim the herbs, cut the vegetables, and slice the bread for your stuffing, keep in mind that you can reuse many of the scraps and prevent more from ending up in the trash. Vegetable stems can be saved and used for broths. Just wrap them up and freeze them to save for later. Animal bones can also be used for broths so you can enjoy those delicious holiday flavors even longer. Plus this is an excuse to get creative! Potato peelings can be seasoned and turned into chips, and extra onions can be caramelized and saved for your next homemade treat. Have stale bread? Make croutons out of them or bread pudding. There is always a way to incorporate food scraps into something delicious with just a quick search on the internet. 

Whatever you can’t keep, please consider composting before throwing it away! For more info on composting at home, check out our guide to getting started composting on our blog. Food that ends up in a landfill takes a much longer time to decompose and produces methane, a highly volatile greenhouse gas that can be avoided just by composting the food instead. 

#SaveTheLeftovers

Most Americans say one of their favorite parts of Thanksgiving is eating the leftovers afterward, so make sure they get eaten! After all, there is no better way to show gratitude than by cleaning your plate! 

If you are having guests, prepare to-go containers so that everyone brings a plate home and you don’t get stuck with more pounds of green bean casserole than you know you can eat!

For the leftovers you do keep, label them with the date and move the older leftovers forward in the fridge. Work through the oldest leftovers first, making sure to always keep them in the front of the fridge where you can see them. If stored properly, many foods retain their freshness and nutrients longer than you might think. Remember, use your senses of sight and smell before assuming the food is bad! FoodSafety.gov is another great resource for gauging how long your leftovers will last.

By eating your food instead of throwing it away, you can help protect our environment, all while saving the money and time you spent buying and preparing your Thanksgiving feast. 

And finally, share these tips! 

Let your friends and family know how they can help prevent waste this Thanksgiving. Every turkey leg saved and scoop of cranberry sauce that ends up in a belly instead of the landfill contributes directly to the health of our community and our planet, so do your part! 

If you’d like to be more directly involved in food recovery, check out our volunteer opportunities, or help us keep our trucks on the road by donating to our Colorado Gives Day fund! Your donation goes even further by helping us receive more of the 1 Million+ Incentive fund on December 7th. 

#FeedPeopleNotLandfills

We typically discuss food waste, a stage where food exits our food systems, but it is equally as important to understand where it all begins, the soil! At the beginning of food production, soil and farming practices set the stage for the sustainability of our food system. 

One of the ways farmers and producers are currently working to reduce the damage of industrial farming is through regenerative farming. The Regenerative Agriculture Foundation defines it as “any practice, process, or management approach that enhances the functioning of the systems on which it relies.” The methods that make up regenerative farming are deservedly now at the forefront of discussion in regards to climate change.

It may sound, at first, like a new buzzword, but the health of soil is at the foundation of agriculture itself. Soil may not look like much, but it is very much a living, interactive part of our environment. Soil provides key nutrients required for plant growth such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium as well as many others. The soil itself is composed of minerals, organic matter, living organisms, gas, and water⏤and all of it is affected by what happens in, on, and around it.

Much of regenerative farming involves the practice of making sure that soil is kept in tip-top shape in terms of the mineral, water, carbon, and nutrient content. In return, the farmland works symbiotically with the rest of the ecological landscape and stays arable decades longer. Healthy soil acts as a highly-effective carbon-sink, a natural pest repellent, and if treated right can produce healthier foods at a lower environmental cost as well. 

Industrial-level farming depends on intensive water and growing practices which results in depleted nutrients in the ground and eventually the destruction of the soil itself. Soil is often overtilled, underfed, and overworked until it loses all biodiversity and is effectively dead. When the soil is misused in this way it can become extremely difficult to grow crops and leads to further desertification of previously arable land. 

Nearly all large-scale farming operations in the US use methods that follow down that path, but there are ways to reverse the damage. 

Smarter crop rotation, using organic pest solutions, regenerative grazing, and more natural solutions can be incorporated in various degrees in order to preserve current farmland or regenerate current arid lands. Much of this has yet to be explored on the same scale as industrial farming as the organic and non-industrial farming sector makes up less than 1% of all farmland in the US.

Fortunately, many of these methods are proven tried and true where they are incorporated. 

Crop rotation is important for soil as some crops are extremely greedy in terms of the nutrients they absorb from the soil, whereas other crops act to replenish the soil with nutrients they return to their roots. It’s the give and take that allows soil to recover as opposed to intensive plants using up the nutrients in the same soil four seasons a year. 

Many regenerative farms also choose to allow grazers onto the fields while they lay fallow after the primary plant is out of season. The animals that graze fertilize the soil naturally and cause less destruction to topsoil as opposed to continuous tilling. 

Natural pest solutions are less harsh on the soil and have a much lower environmental cost to produce. Glyphosate, the primary ingredient in non-organic pesticides, actively attacks the amino acids in plants and only gets to store shelves after an immense amount of fossil fuels are used in production.

What do consumers want?

Consumers have clearly indicated through shopping habits that many prioritize natural solutions with the wave of organic isles that can be found in many grocery stores. In 2019, Nielsen found 73 percent of global consumers said in order to reduce their environmental footprint they would be willing to change their habits. 

With this in mind it is clear that in order to have a more sustainable food system it is as important to consider the beginning as it is the end of food production.

We don’t all have access to organic food or local farms, but we can all make sure that we smartly use the food we buy!

There is so much time, energy, and natural resources that goes into the production of our food today that it makes utilizing what we’ve grown even more important. Your resourcefulness can help keep climate change in check.

If you feel as strongly as we do about the topic then check out our blog about ways to reduce food waste at home. 

As many of you may know, our Director of Programs & Operations, Aubree Pierce, is a fantastic person with an incredible amount of drive and passion for our mission. Since stepping into her role with We Don’t Waste she has become a pivotal part of the organization. 

This makes it all the more difficult to announce that Aubree will be leaving us for a move across the country. Her energy and charisma will be dearly missed, but our team wishes her the best for the move and for all of her future endeavors! 

Sam Talarczyk, previously one of our awesome Food Recovery Specialists, has stepped into Aubree’s shoes, taking on the role of Director of Programs & Operations. Since joining our team, Sam has been an enthusiastic and hard-working team player. He is passionate about continuing to grow and optimize the organization and we cannot wait to see what he accomplishes!

And without further ado, here’s what Aubree herself has to say about her time at We Don’t Waste:

Over the last two years, I have had the great pleasure of working at We Don’t Waste. In the summer of 2019, the previous nonprofit I worked with closed its doors, and I found myself looking for another opportunity. I had spent the previous several years working in the realm of hunger and food waste, so I was excited to see an opening for a Food Recovery Specialist at We Don’t Waste. I got to know the ins and outs of the organization and more about our partners during my six months as a Food Recovery Specialist.

Aside from managing the operations through the pandemic, I was lucky enough to serve at We Don’t Waste through a time of growth and adjustment. I was able to participate in strategic conversations to develop plans and programs for the organization to have a greater impact on the community and collaborate with partners on several projects to address hunger and food waste. I have learned so much from my time at We Don’t Waste and have so many unforgettable experiences that I will always keep with me. It is bittersweet that I am leaving my position at We Don’t Waste as I am moving to Michigan to be closer to family. I am so thankful that the leadership team at We Don’t Waste took a chance on me and I will be forever grateful for the experience and growth that I have achieved as a professional during my time at this organization. I have truly enjoyed my time working with We Don’t Waste and I am beyond thankful to the entire We Don’t Waste team, the Board of Directors, and the Denver nonprofit network for the continued support that I experienced through the pandemic and beyond. I am excited to see the organization grow and flourish in the coming years. The impact that we’ve had on the community and on the state of Colorado as a whole is astounding, and I am proud to have been a part of such an amazing organization.

With gratitude,

Aubree Pierce

Written by: Caroline Hissong, We Don’t Waste, Marketing and Communications Coordinator

This month we are excited to announce that we have launched the Fork and Spoon Club! We have always offered a monthly giving option, but decided to launch a formal program to thank our current monthly donors and to reward anyone that chooses to join from this point forward!

Why Donate Monthly?

Your donations go directly towards supporting the foundation of the organization. We recover food from our donors and distribute it to the 100+ hunger relief agencies that we’re proud to partner with, or to one of our mobile markets. 

Monthly commitments to our organization play a pivotal role in us operating year-round. Many donations are seasonal, as most donors consider giving during holidays or events, but the need for food support is always present in our community!

By choosing to continuously support us, it helps We Don’t Waste remain sustainable into the future. Because we can better predict our funds, we can better apply our resources to fight year-round food insecurity. It keeps gas in our trucks and the freezers running! A stable budget also means we can be more reactive when disasters like COVID make an immediate impact on the community. In 2020 we were able to mobilize a much more expansive program with our Mobile Food Markets because we knew that we had the support of the community. 

How do I decide what I can give?

If you have ever planned a budget, you have probably heard of the “latte effect”. That is, consider how often you go out to a cafe to get a coffee. $5 in one purchase might not seem like a large purchase at the time, but multiply that by the number of times in a year you go out for coffee and you would be shocked at how many hundreds of dollars it adds up to. All of this is to say, any amount you choose to give adds up quickly! If you can commit just $5 or $10 dollars a month, you probably won’t miss the change from your wallet, but after a year you’ve made a much larger impact!

It is completely up to you to decide what you can afford to give, but any amount you can give goes straight back into making our community a healthier and happier place. Your support leads to a stronger community, and we could not be more thankful for your decision to help!

What are the perks for joining? 

So you’ve decided to join the club, that’s great! You have our love and thanks for your generosity, but you also get access to some fun perks so you can get to learn more about our organization and the impact you’re making!

All monthly donors will receive a VIP invitation to We Don’t Waste Wednesdays––a monthly gathering at our distribution center to tour the facility, meet our staff, and enjoy food and beverages! If a behind the scenes peek at the operation isn’t enticing enough, we are a pretty fun crew to get to know as well!

Monthly donors can also look forward to an exclusive invitation to our fundraising events throughout the year. If fancy dinners and cocktails from local chefs are your thing, you’ll want to join us at our annual Fill A Plate for Hunger celebration. We recognize the work of our donors and sponsors, enjoy food from dozens of wonderful local chefs, and raise a truly awesome amount of funds to help us grow our impact the following year. If creativity and sculpture is more your style, you do not want to miss the Canstruction® event! Teams from local architecture and construction companies compete to build sculptures out of canned food Canstruction® has definitely become a cult-favorite among the participants!

Commit to donating in May, and the annualized amount of your commitment is matched by the PB and K Family Foundation! That means your donation is effectively doubled! If you choose to donate during the month of May and commit to $25 dollars a month or more, you will also receive a reusable We Don’t Waste Tote Bag! The tote features our logo on the front so that you can rep your pride on your next grocery trip. 

So with all of that being said, consider if monthly giving is right for you. It’s quick and easy to sign up, just a few minutes of your time can help keep good food out of landfills and feed hungry people instead!

Meet Chef Troy Guard

Chef Troy Guard is one of the best chefs out there, but don’t take our word for it. The Hawaii native has been named one of the “Great Regional Chefs of America” by the James Beard Foundation. He’s the force behind several Denver restaurants, including Tag, Los Chingones, Guard and Grace, Tag Burger Bar and Mister Tuna – with more on the way!

After finishing college and going on to train at each of La Costa Resort’s five well-respected restaurants in San Diego, he returned to Hawaii and soon became sous chef to the famed Roy Yamaguchi, whose fusion restaurants blend California, French, and Japanese traditions. After nearly a decade with Yamaguchi, he refined his unique Pacific Rim cooking style as Chef de Cuisine at internationally acclaimed Doc Cheng’s in Singapore.

Since coming to Denver, he’s been a force to be reckoned with, opening a slew of well-loved restaurants in the area. And he’s just getting started.

Lucky for us, Guard will be bringing his talents to We Don’t Waste’s annual Fill A Plate for Hunger Presented by CoBank as our “chef extraordinaire”. We can’t wait to see what delicious dishes he’ll be accessing for all our guests from the other great chefs of Denver.

Don’t have tickets yet? It’s not too late!

Get tickets