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February

<aside> <img src="/icons/bookmark_green.svg" alt="/icons/bookmark_green.svg" width="40px" /> Contents

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<aside> <img src="/icons/book-closed_blue.svg" alt="/icons/book-closed_blue.svg" width="40px" /> Topics & Terminology

• Climate Change
• Food Waste
• Methane Gas
• Composting
• Cooking
• Food Preservation
• Freezing </aside>

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Composting Resources

Food Sourcing & Preservation Resources

<aside> <img src="/icons/search_yellow.svg" alt="/icons/search_yellow.svg" width="40px" /> Recommended Tools

USDA Local Food Directories

FindAComposter.com

Litterless - Composting & Bulk Refill Directory

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<aside> <img src="/icons/book_yellow.svg" alt="/icons/book_yellow.svg" width="40px" /> Recommended Reading

[Big Little Recipes: Good Food with Minimal Ingredients and Maximal Flavor - Emma Laperruque & Food52 ](https://pantrypuzzle.notion.site/Big-Little-Recipes-Good-Food-with-Minimal-Ingredients-and-Maximal-Flavor-Emma-Laperruque-Food5-519e18d124d941a5aa23732e4e1ba28e)

The Taste of Country Cooking - Edna Lewis

Black Girl Baking - Jerelle Guy

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<aside> <img src="/icons/playback-play-button_yellow.svg" alt="/icons/playback-play-button_yellow.svg" width="40px" /> Recommended Watching

10 ways to compost no matter where you live | indoor, drop-off, & worm composting - YouTube - Shelbizleee

RECIPE?! SERIES - hot for food - Lauren Toyota - Youtube

Becoming a Farm Girl - YouTube

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Watch Along on Youtube

Let's Bake Bread and chat about Food Waste | One Year Sustainability Challenge: Food Waste February

Our Garden in February + How We Compost! One Year Sustainability Challenge: Food Waste February

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<aside> <img src="/icons/backward_green.svg" alt="/icons/backward_green.svg" width="40px" /> Back to January

January: The Reality of Recycling

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<aside> <img src="/icons/forward_green.svg" alt="/icons/forward_green.svg" width="40px" /> Forward to March

March for a Cause

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For the second month of our challenge we’re focusing on reducing our Food Waste! We’ll discuss the volume of food waste in the US and why it’s a growing concern. We’ll also learn about Composting, nature’s recycling system and the best way to dispose of your food waste!

The Problem with Food Waste

The US EPA estimates that 30-40% of all food in the US is wasted and (UNEP) reports 1.3 billion tonnes of global food loss/waste each year (see UNEP Food Waste Index Report 2021 | UNEP - UN Environment Programme).

1. Wasted food is wasted resources: land, water, labor, lives. Throwing away food is throwing away the resources that went into growing it, harvesting it, and packaging it.
2. Wasted food contributes to food scarcity, hunger, starvation, and death. Food decomposes in a plastic bag instead of being eaten by people or any other living being.
3. Wasted food produces Methane Gas, a contributor to Climate Change. Landfills are the third-largest contributor to human-related methane emissions in the US and food waste is the largest category of landfill waste.

Further Reading on Food Waste & Methane Gas

• Why should we care about food waste? - USDA
• Basic Information about Landfill Gas - US EPA
• Cutting Landfill Methane To Fight Climate Change - NPR
• Food waste creates more greenhouse gases than the airline industry - The Washington Post
• Fight climate change by preventing food waste - WWF
• The Carbon Impact of Food Waste: The Problem With What We’re NOT Eating - CLEAR Center

Composting and Why it’s So Important

In a landfill, Organic Matter/Materials are trapped, surrounded by plastic and other inorganic waste, without the ability to break down and return to the earth. The act of Composting removes organic material from landfills and returns it to our soil where it can contribute to new growth and new life. As the EPA puts it, “Composting is nature’s way of recycling.”

• How composting can reduce our impact on the planet - UNEP
• Types of Composting and Understanding the Process - US EPA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuyrHORvG0M&t=1s&ab_channel=LaurenJordan-1YSC

Composting at Home

• Youtuber **Shelbizleee** covers ten different Composting methods in this video that’s sure to inspire you: 10 ways to compost no matter where you live | indoor, drop-off, & worm composting - YouTube - Shelbizleee

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WWULz0DMa8

• The EPA’s Guide to Composting at Home covers more details of home composting methods and is a great tool to help you get started: Composting At Home | US EPA
• If you’re not able to compost your food waste at your own home, you can locate compost drop-off services near you through FindAComposter.com, or search the state-by-state directory at Litterless - Composting & Bulk Refill Directory!

What Else You Can Do

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaU94ymg2iY&t=1s&ab_channel=LaurenJordan-1YSC

Properly select & store fresh & whole foods

• Pick fresh produce according to your needs - don’t bulk-buy your favorites if you can’t eat it all before they start to go bad!
• This article breaks down the best methods for storing different produce: How to Store Produce: A Guide to Fruit and Vegetables - Food Revolution Network
• The American Heart Association also has a printable produce storage guide available here: Produce Storage Infographic - American Heart Association
• If you need more help, this app will help you select the best produce available to you at the store, as well as how to properly store them:Harvest App - Select the Best Produce

Use up foods and ingredients before they go to waste

• Canning - If you tend to let fruits and vegetables rot away in your fridge, try using canned or frozen produce this month and see if you notice any differences!
• Freezing - Use your freezer in general - if you have something you know you won’t finish up within a few days, slap it in the freezer to enjoy later!
• My favorite tool for freezing foods are ‣, reusable silicone trays with pre-measured molds for common portion sizes and recipe ingredient amounts.
• You can also try out a service like Sorted Food Sidekick App to help you plan meals around key ingredients in a week in order to reduce food waste.

Play with your food!

• You can make great food with fewer ingredients than you may think! [Big Little Recipes: Good Food with Minimal Ingredients and Maximal Flavor - Emma Laperruque & Food52 ](https://pantrypuzzle.notion.site/Big-Little-Recipes-Good-Food-with-Minimal-Ingredients-and-Maximal-Flavor-Emma-Laperruque-Food5-519e18d124d941a5aa23732e4e1ba28e) is filled with flavorful recipes that rely on 5 ingredients or less.
• Use up leftovers in new and interesting ways, like combining two of your favorites! For inspiration, check out the improvisational cooking videos by Lauren Toyota at RECIPE?! SERIES - hot for food - Lauren Toyota - Youtube!

Educate Yourself on Black History and Support Black Creators & Black-Owned Businesses

February is also Black History Month - while exploring food this month, consider checking out these cookbooks by Black authors:

• Black Girl Baking - Jerelle Guy - contemporary baker Jerelle Guy shares unique takes on classics with unusual flavor combinations.
• The Taste of Country Cooking - Edna Lewis - considered by many to be the Mother of Southern American Cooking. This book in particular focuses on using in-season ingredients across the year.
• As well as videos by creator Becoming a Farm Girl - YouTube!