Wide variety of events focus on cutting waste, feeding more people

Get ready to save some food! DC Food Recovery Week is just around the corner. From Saturday, October 21 to Saturday, October 28, events across the region will spotlight, celebrate and advocate for all the ways we can reduce food waste and feed more people in metro DC.

Coordinated by the DC Food Recovery Working Group (DCFRWG), this week of events will include something for everyone who likes to eat and hates to waste. Young kids can pick out ghoulish gourds at the Ugly Pumpkin Block Party. Families and service groups can go on a gleaning outing with the University of the District of Columbia. DIYers can attend a class on food preservation and foodies will want to hit up all the restaurants participating in #RescueDishDC – an effort to highlight the creative ways DC chefs make use of ingredients you might assume are waste.  Please see a full list of events below; some require advance registration, details for which can be found at dcfoodrecovery.org.

Events include:

Ugly Pumpkin Block Party!
When:​ Saturday, Oct. 21, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Where:​ Old Market House Square, 14th St SE between U and V St SE
What:​ Pick out and decorate your very own ugly pumpkin. This event in Historic Anacostia will kick off DC Food Recovery Week by both bringing awareness to the problem of wasted food in DC, and celebrating the work that has been done to address this issue.

RescueDishDC Happy Hour
When:​ Thursday, Oct. 26, 6 – 8 p.m.
Where:​ ​The Sheppard, 1337 Connecticut Avenue NW, 2nd Floor
What:​ Come to this intimate speakeasy to celebrate all the delicious things we can make from food that might otherwise go to waste. Upon arrival, you’ll be presented with a limoncello made from lemon rinds. That night’s drink menu will also include a speciality zero-waste cocktail. Spirits expert David Strauss will give a brief presentation about how he minimizes waste behind the bar.
Please register early – space is limited and registration is required.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rescuedishdc-happy-hour-tickets-38667085293

DPR Cider Press Workshop with apple seconds
When:​ Saturday, Oct. 28, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Where:​ Twin Oaks Community Garden, 14th & Taylor Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
What:​ DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) is opening up their food recovery classes, a part of their Cooking and Nutritional Certificate Course, to additional participants who want to learn about food recovery in DC.
Become certified to use and borrow DPR’s cider press machine in this two-hour workshop. Be sure to bring a jar in order to take home a serving (or two) of hand-pressed apple cider!
Registration is required and space is limited- please register here.  If you have questions please email Joshua.singer@dc.gov and
Kehmari.Norman@dc.gov

And find even more events here.

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, as much as 40 percent of food in the United States gets thrown away. Yet, 13 percent of homes nationwide are food insecure. The DC Food Recovery Working Group is made up of representatives from a variety of organizations tackling different angles of the food waste problem, from legislation to excess food distribution to composting. Some of the DC Food Recovery Week events are organized directly by the Working Group, while others are sponsored by affiliated organizations. All events will help people in the region understand and act on this important issue.

This is the second time the DC Food Recovery Working Group has organized a week of events. In May of 2016, the newly formed group hosted its inaugural week of action.

“Since we first created this group, we’ve discovered and created so many exciting food recovery initiatives and resources across the city,”  said Josh Singer, Community Garden Specialist for the DC government and co-founder of  the DCFRWG. “During DC Food Recovery Week we hope to highlight all those amazing efforts while also demonstrating how every Washingtonian can have an impact.”