Topic: Excess veggies...

[landimad]

All,

If you ever have excess veggies, how do you dispose of them?
With all the homes around that have people in them, would you give them to the homes of less fortunate people?
I have been lucky in they have taken all that I can give to them as the budget for these places is not great. As we all get old or have been in need of care at some point in our lives we have to get on board and help these places to ensure they keep going.
I wont go into how they are run or how they are being paid as that is not what I do.
All I want to do is ensure they get a good meal inside them and that is enough for me.
I only have a garden, but if the chance of a lottie came up I would snap it up and do more for these homes because we all care for each other in one way or another.

[shirlton]

Some homes won't accept your vegetables. I used to give mine to a councill run EPH that I worked forbut it was done on the quiet. Its the same with second hand clothing.

[Nigel B]

Well fair doos Landimad. It's always good to hear someone with good intentions.  :)
There is an organisation called Foodshare which helps producers of surplus food get in touch with hospices or other worthy causes that will appreciate it.
Might be worth a look. :)

[kt.]

We always run out of stuff.  Though I do give stuff to family and friends as we go along.  Other than that I unwillingly share my fruit veggies with the local wildlife and pigeon pests ::) ::)

[manicscousers]

family, friends, swaps and our local special needs group all get a share. if we have any real gluts, we have a house behind us for elderly people who are only too delighted to take them off our hands  ;D

[goodlife]

Well friends and neighbours get some..some times some family members too.. :-X And if I have loads to get rid of , I've known to go and knock some doors on our street ;D..first few times people were really baffled about.."are you selling or something?" But once I explained that I've got veg coming 'out of my ear holes' and don't know what to do with them.."please, take what you want"..everybody was really happy. Now I know all people living on our street, I'll get friendly 'hello's' and often they ask if I have any spare ;)
I've learn now to grow things in 'little and often' fashion so it is not so often that I need go around.
There is plenty of takers but try sell some and nobody wants to know..they rather go into supermarket ::)

[goodlife]

...and...I always use my spare veg as 'thank you' pressies against the favours people does for us..or barter for something else ;)

[euronerd]

Near neighbours, in the interests of PR.

[macmac]

goodlife we've lived in our road for almost 30 years and started knocking on doors with strawberries and soft fruit,like you we've got to know so many folk.One lovely old guy gave us his "spent"compost last year,his daughter baked us a cake and another neighbour helped repair our roof. :)

[elvis2003]

Ive even given boxes of veg as birthday presents a couple of times   :-[ (when Ive been a bit skint)
its also lovely to be able to visit mates or family with a bag of lovely fresh produce for them,as we all know!

[rugbypost]

Took  my veg,s to a few council run homes but they wont take it because of health and safety. I give mind to all that i see  passing the house that i know and ask if they would like some fresh veg. I can honestly tell you how many have said no Ihave a tin of that or Ihave plenty in the freezer I just laugh and dont explain anymore

[Jeannine]

Hi, here in Canada most cities and towns have several food banks that are kept going by donations of all kinds of food, this is given to those in need at weekly drop ins. Most bakeries hand in their day old bread for eg.

On our lottie we have a large area that is just for growing for our local food bank, the plot holders share the work of growing the veggies in there.we also have a spot where individual members can  put their spare veggies and the foodbank collects it.

We also have various churches that run soup kitchens and can drop off produce there .

When in the UK I used to take my spare stuff to school and Mums used to get it, but I also had 2 local churches that distributed food to the needy and they were always grateful for whatever I could give them.

Good Luck , and great of you to think about this.

XX Jeannine

[cambourne7]

The few times i had veggies spare and had filled my friends up i went knocking on the doors of neighbors (i knew most of them to say hello to) and targeted the ones with young families and the older generation the people i knew would appreciate them and might not have a great deal of cash. Another allotment holder would walk around the site offering to other plot holders and someone else i know put a table outside there gate and left them there with a note.

[Melbourne12]

We give our surplus to friends and neighbours, so there's very little wasted.

[Good Gourd 2]

We give ours to friends and neighbours, runner bean season, I think they hide no not more beans, always grow too many. As a lot of you have said its good PR.

[aj]

I just leave any excess at the back gates of neighbours; they soon know when it is courgette season and start badgering about my surplus as soon as they see me with my trug.

[pumkinlover]

I used to stuff courgette/ marrows through next doors cat flap on the back door.
Then they put up a gate!!!! ;D ;D ;D

[Morris]

I used to stuff courgette/ marrows through next doors cat flap on the back door.
Then they put up a gate!!!! ;D ;D ;D

Ha ha  ;) I believe they say in America that the only time people in rural areas lock their house and car doors is during zucchini season, to avoid unwanted vegetable gifts!

I'm like Goodlife, I work out carefully what I need and only grow that.  I find too much excess stressful and upsetting. I've spent years fine-tuning it to suit me and the family.

I try to have a wider variety of crops but little and often. I grow lots of what I know I will preserve, eg spinach, peas, sweetcorn, soft fruit.  I am extremely strict with myself about lettuce/salad leaves and beans.  Love them as I do there is a limit on what any family can eat, and for me, they are no good frozen (I've tried lots of varieties of beans in a search for one I like frozen, and various methods, but have concluded I just don't like the texture change after freezing.)  French beans break my little heart as I love all the different colours and shapes and would like to grow masses just to admire.  I grow one or two climbers and one dwarf every year :(  

I use lots of veg in soup, either fresh soup or frozen, which is an excellent way of using up peak summer production.  Courgettes/summer squashes make lovely soup and I freeze them as a soup 'base' just sweated gently, either on their own or with onion and potato and then ready to go.

Sometimes peas and beans get away with me, despite my best intentions, and I give those to neighbours.

PS good for you landimad thinking of others and spreading the benefit of your lovely veggies.
  

[Digeroo]

I have several people who like my veg but I do like people who give me a small contribution towards the seeds etc.  I hate people who seem to think they are free.

We had pigs on site for the last two years and they love an overgrown courgette. 

[daitheplant]

Isn`t an overgrown courgette a marrow? ;D ;D