Snowy Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 My Dads house backs onto a field in Lincolnshire. When we visited at weekend, he suggested we go 'scrumping' for calabrese (supermarket broccoli to you and me!). The field had been planted with calabrese and harvested a couple of days earlier. He had been told by the farmer that once it was harvested he could help himself to any leftovers as it would all be plowed back in within a week or two. The way it works is that the farmer plants the crop and maintains it, the supermarkets have their own contractors who do the harvesting, they take what they want and the farmer prepares the field for the next crop. We covered a very tiny corner of the field, and I picked more than I could carry! I am delighted that I now have enough freezer portions to last us all year, but what a waste! The supermarkets only want florets that are a standard size. Any too small or too big are just plowed back into the ground - I reckon only 50% of that crop had actually been taken. The florets I picked were slightly smaller than the large ones found in the supermarket and they tasted delicious (even though they were not organic). I just wish I could've picked more - I am still stunned at the waste involved! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 Shocking, The very least they could do is offer it to a homeless charity or something Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 ugh I hate this kind of thing. a I hate waste b I'm a skinflint feel like shouting I'll have it! I never find good gluts etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ygerna Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 Maybe you could contact the supermarket involved? At least the Farmer let you have all you wanted. Maybe he could let a local charity come and have some? The Church? Anything other than waste it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted August 25, 2009 Author Share Posted August 25, 2009 What scares me is that it must be the same thing happening in every single field across the country! And they tell us there is not enough room to grow all the food that our population requires! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 post on the local freecycle to let people know, share the love Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted August 26, 2009 Author Share Posted August 26, 2009 I never thought of freecycle. By the time I've found out which one it is and joined, it will all be ploughed in Not sure the farmer would appreciate me doing that either - I think it's a goodwill gesture on his part to my Dad who is his neighbour. And they are likely to move later this year so unlikely to get the opportunity again Anyone want to buy a house by a broccoli field? (well, broccoli, potatoes and wheat on a three year crop rotation ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 It is such a shame isn't it? The supermarket say 'that is what the customer wants', but if they sold 'undersized and uneven florets' they would still sell and that is all that is available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rona Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 This customer would be happier with smaller florets and less stalk ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 the trouble is, your average customer will pick the big ones off the shelf first, leaving the smaller ones to go bad. If they sold the smaller ones off cheaper and labelled them 'basics range' or something then they wouldn't go to waste. Sainsburys do it I think, mishapen fruit and veg just gets sold off as their 'basic range' and is cheaper. Maybe more supermarkets will follow in their footsteps!? wish I lived near that farmer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy chickens! Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 You would think in this day and age that waste like this would not happen! There is so much you could do with it rather than plough it back in. It's so inefficient Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 the trouble is, your average customer will pick the big ones off the shelf first, leaving the smaller ones to go bad. If they sold the smaller ones off cheaper and labelled them 'basics range' or something then they wouldn't go to waste. Sainsburys do it I think, mishapen fruit and veg just gets sold off as their 'basic range' and is cheaper. Maybe more supermarkets will follow in their footsteps!? wish I lived near that farmer! funnily enough Jamies doing advertising about just that on tv at the mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 One of the farmers around us used to spray the field to kill off the lettuces to stop scrumping ...not sure if he still does !!! Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
