🍎 From Farm to Fork: Let’s Make Fall Food Go the Extra Mile! 🍂

Fall is a special time of year when many fruits and vegetables are ready to be picked. It’s called harvest time! Farmers gather all the yummy food they’ve grown, like apples, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes. But did you know that sometimes there’s so much food that some of it doesn’t get eaten? This is called food waste, and it can be a big problem.

Why Does Food Get Wasted?

1. Too Much Food: Sometimes, farmers grow more food than people can eat. If they can’t sell it all, it might go to waste.
2. Storage Problems: After the food is picked, it needs a cool place to stay fresh. If there’s not enough storage space or if the food isn’t stored properly, it can go bad quickly.
3. Not Perfect Looking: Sometimes, fruits and vegetables don’t look perfect—they might be funny-shaped or have spots. Even though they’re still delicious, they might not get sold and can end up being wasted.

Why Is Food Waste a Problem? 🚫🥕

Wasting food isn’t just about losing something yummy. It also wastes all the water, energy, and hard work that went into growing it. Plus, when food goes bad and isn’t composted, it can release harmful gases into the air, which isn’t good for our planet.

How Can We Help? 🌎💚

1. Eat Seasonal Food: Enjoy fruits and vegetables that are in season. This means eating them when they’re freshest and most delicious, like apples 🍎, pumpkins 🎃, squash 🍂, sweet potatoes 🍠, carrots 🥕, pears 🍐, Brussels sprouts 🥦, cauliflower 🥬, grapes 🍇, cranberries 🍒, and pomegranates!
2. Love Ugly Food: Give funny-looking fruits and veggies a chance. They’re just as tasty and healthy as the perfect ones!
3. Store Food Properly: Keep fruits and veggies in the right places, like the fridge or a cool, dark pantry, so they last longer.
4. Compost Food Scraps: If you can’t eat it all, compost the leftovers! Composting turns food scraps into rich soil that helps new plants grow.

Fun Fall Activity! 🍁

Next time you go to the farmers’ market, see if you can spot some seasonal fruits and veggies. Try something new, like a butternut squash or a fresh apple. And remember, loving all food—no matter how it looks—helps our planet!

Harvest time is all about enjoying nature’s bounty, but let’s make sure we enjoy it wisely. Happy harvesting! 🍂🍎

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