Waste not, want not

I always knew, as a society, that Americans were pretty poor when it came to managing the efficiency of food consumption.

A recent article in the Los Angeles Times by writer Tiffany Hsu made me do a double-take over my oatmeal.

We toss out as much as 40 percent of our food supply, according to a report from the Natural Resources Defense Council.

As a guy who spent a great deal of his early life raising livestock and growing grain for our nation's stomachs, I immediately felt saddened that 40 percent of my labors didn't end up in a satisfied customer.

The study states the average family of four "squanders $2,275 in food each year, or 20 pounds per person each month."

I guess I shouldn't be surprised, after all, our national motto should be: If it's worth doing, it's worth doing to excess.

But really, over 40 percent? Sure, we all clean out the cupboards (and fridge) from time to time and have to toss that can or bag of produce that was not quite as appetizing as it was in the market.

Some of us are better than others at learning that those items will go to waste, obviously.

I always went by the notion that you never go to the grocery store on an empty stomach, because everything sounds appealing and you'll come home with two cartfuls of bounty.

Shopping with strict adherence to a list is also much tougher these days, with so many new products gracing grocers's shelves. Everywhere you look, something is pleading for your attention. It's hard to ignore the eye candy, even when you're not in the candy aisle.

We need to be better at determining what products we possess that we will never consume, and make a hasty trip to the nearest food bank. Just make sure you don't show up with a carload of bulging cans, or your next stop will be the dump.

Almost half of American soil is used for agriculture. That number shrinks a little each year, but thanks to advancements in production, we haven't felt the sting of a limited supply. Ask anyone who lived through the food rationing of World War II how much fun that was.

The report mentioned that food waste is the largest single portion of solid waste 'cramming American landfills," with a 50 percent jump in the amount dumped since the 1970s.

I guess we are all buoyed by the abundance of fresh produce offered at the local market. It must give us a dime-a-dozen mentality.

Unless the prices rise dramatically, I doubt we'll change our habits much. We Americans tend to fall into deep ruts and only emerge when the need arises.

In my limited research, home gardeners are very frugal people when it comes to food waste. They eat most of what they grow, and the little that is harvested but no longer desirable goes into the composter, to begin the cycle all over again.

So the next time you're out and about at the market, remember those items that never touched your lips in the past: Make some smart choices and save yourself a buck or two down the road.

Jerry Hitchcock, a copy editor for The Press, was raised on a 5,500 acre farm/ranch in central Montana. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2017, or via email at jhitchcock@cdapress.com