I am genuinely enthusiastic about your idea, your purpose. There is too much food going to waste, with too many hungry adults and children in this country going hungry—not to mention the millions of refugees beset by every snare possible…lack of medical care & attention, need for food
products, need for more hands to assist them in rebuilding their homes, their lives. Whether it was an Earthquake, a Wildfire, a Flood, Hurricane, Tornado, Cyclone, or seiges of drought or too much rain. We can learn to work with NATURE in order for all of us to survive and open the passageways to a greener, proportionately wet/dry lands; and then we must get to the heart of the issue. work! wHERE WOULD WE BE IF OUR
grandparents, and theirs before them, had not worked from sunup to sundown, to raise fields of cotton, grain, vegeteables. It does seem to me that there is a vast wealth going untapped in this country. We no longer have the luxury to play that game.
Kemper Barkhurst has tossed his energy behind this movement. With whatever resources can be brought to the table, we must begin NOW.
And I think there are plenty of people out there thinking the same things, just not knowing the HOW and MEANS of putting such an IDEAL into motion. Everything that is in existence today was once an idea of some man, woman or child. THAT is our greatest source ofd energy and we must not fail those cooming after we have gone.
Since I live in Southern California (and experienced the Wildfires) I know first hand how difficult lit is to leave whatever it is you have and race, with your family, to safety. My mind is abuzz with deafening fireworks!
Now, we must get down to the nitty gritty - which is where, in all honesty, many people lose heart and tell themselves it is too much work ; but it isn’t when we are ALL working in scheduled shifts; and when we have more people excited to think there is something that can be done about the conversion of a lifestyle based on oil, fur coats and jewels—a beautiful peach colored rose rising from the ashes of the fires here.
People must begin everyday. It’s time to stop pointing fingers and affixing blame and guilt and and start from where you are. “As a man thinketh…” Do a run check on your mindfulness several times throughout the day. America is rich in resources . Her biggest predator is the human species.
THIS IS GREAT!!!

We are in Long Beach California, our organization is providing vertical gardens to the poor that can be placed on a small patio or even a door stoop. The gardens can produce tomatoes, beans, peas, strawberries, and herbs. They take little space and can provide fresh produce for families who live in communities where grocery stores are seldom located close by. By providing neighbors with different plants they are able to share their abundance by swapping pound for pound. The addition of sheets of aluminum and some plastic coverings can also turn these gardens into winter hothouses in some climates.

Thanks for your great response. Wow!

This is a great idea… and it corresponds to one that I wish could have been enacted when I lived in Key West, where the good weather draws many homeless and low-income folks, but where the economy drags on those with no- or limited resources. It seemed such a waste to have three local deli’s and many local restaurants just throw away food every day… pounds and pounds of good healthy meat, produce, and salads! I asked some of these places if they would be willing to distribute some of their leftovers and I was told that it was “illegal” for them to give away the food. Somehow I did not believe that… even if there had been health codes involved re: placing limits on how such foods could be distributed… There could not possibly be any law against donating prepared foods, meats and cheeses to a local shelter or soup kitchen… or…?! Perhaps, even better than donating to another facility: they could have had a few employees who might have been willing to be “ambassadors” and give out the food directly via a buffet table during those hours that the deli was not open or they could have taken the delivery van and distributed the food at local sites accessible to all whom might have benefited?
Everywhere, we as a nation throw away so much food and so many people do not have enough food. “Food insecurity” as it is called by social workers, is one of the main reasons, ironically, that we are overweight and undernourished. People buy cheap bulk junk foods that are unhealthy and often just filling for either the body or the mind seeking satisfaction. It is shameful…
As to the above article, I like this idea of harvesting and distributing local fruit and produce… here in Vermont, where I live now, we have a great many apple trees in peoples’ yards. Those fruits could do a lot of good, instead of just rotting on the branches!

I found a place doing exactly what you describe. It’s called City Harvest in NYC. See http://cityharvest.org/ If you look at what they accept it is limited but they’ll still receive some prepared foods. A long time ago, I worked at a deli in San Diego and we always brought home the old bake goods and distributed to all my poor college neighbors.

You're right. I ran a project last year in the U.K. in which people grew food in their backyards, schools and hospitals in their front yards and the city authority's environment department grew food in parks. We harvested the final crop and it provided enough food for 2000 people, in an event attended by 8000. The town has a population of 140,000. We grew across over 150 sites. It fed 2000. Sounds like a useful harvest to me! More here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/mar/26/cityfood