It’s Harvest time again, and at Lisburn Foodbank we are so grateful for the generous donations of fresh food from local farmers and producers, as well as long life food from the Harvest collections and church services happening across our local area.
So what is ‘Harvest’?
Harvest refers to the season of gathering the food of the land. In the past, this was a vital time of year, because success was a genuine matter of life or death heading towards the winter months. Because of technological advances in the UK, we’re not so dependent on the seasons any more, making harvest-time less symbolic – but many churches still use this time to reflect on God’s provision and blessing.
It’s so easy for those of us who have enough to take what we have for granted, and to have an unhealthy attitude to food, buying too much, and constantly throwing out rather than using up leftovers. This then has a negative impact on our environment.
Did you know that while…
- one in six people in Northern Ireland experienced food insecurity in the last year
- we’re also losing £145 worth per household on food waste every year
Give us our daily bread
Households are responsible for almost 70% of overall food waste in the UK. The topmost wasted food is bread at approximately 900, 000 tonnes annually! At Lisburn Foodbank, we regularly receive leftover breads and pastries from Fareshare and our local M&S Neighbourly partnership, which we can then distribute to those in need.
So how can ordinary households reduce food waste with staples like bread, and save money?
Here are a few tips from our well experienced team of staff and volunteers.
- Reuse: why not freeze some of your sliced loaf, whatever you think you won’t use that week. Freeze it a few slices at a time and it’ll be available when you need it!
- Revive: for intact but slightly stale or tough loaves (e.g. sourdough, crusty bread or ciabatta), try running them under water and then baking them in the oven (180 C fan) for 6-7 mins
- Reinvent: French toast, bread and butter pudding, stuffing, croutons, bruschetta – the possibilities are endless
If you would like to get involved or donate some items to the Foodbank to recognise harvest this year, please just take a quick look at our October shopping list. You can drop items off at a collection point in Tesco, Sainsburys, Eurospar or straight in to the Foodbank during opening hours. Thank you!
