Food waste is on the chopping block in Oregon as the Department of Environmental Quality kicks off National Food Waste Prevention Week from April 1-7, packed with events aimed at edifying the public on this pressing issue. According to DEQ's Senior Policy and Program Analyst, Elaine Blatt, who sang praises for this major national event, the week will include a mix of virtual and face-to-face workshops, student art contests, and even a trivia session to test your leftover lore. And for those culinary creatives, there's an upcycled food shindig on the calendar.
This year's eco-centric crusade doesn’t stop at just feeding the brain; it extends an invitation for K 12 students and teachers to roll up their sleeves and dive into the inaugural Food Heroes: Save Food, Save the Planet Video Contest, which the DEQ is hosting with entries due May 10, and yes students, teachers, listen up there's a chance to win some cold hard cash in the form of gift cards, amounting to $100 for individuals, $200 for groups, and a juicy $300 for classrooms. Interested parties can find out how to enter by visiting DEQ's contest page.
Elaine Blatt, ringing in on the importance of the campaign, said, "The resources available through Food Waste Prevention Week really help us augment our outreach efforts for food waste education." As if that wasn't stocking the pantry enough, partner organizations can access a loaded communications toolkit to help spread the word with digital ads, templated events, and messaging in both English and Spanish. It's all hands on deck to get the word out and get communities connecting over binning less grub.
Oregonians, you're on a mission to save your leftovers and the planet this April. Now's the time to go forth, glean those tips and tricks from the pros, get savvy at those workshops, and knock out a killer video that could net your classroom some extra green—all while cutting down on what's filling up the green bin.
