is anyone out there a freegan?

[mamafeelgood]

yes that was what sparked a conversation about freegans the other day. like the sound of the wild garlic ...

[Incitatus]

A proper Freegan!

"have to fight the cats for food" - lol

[MadWorld74]

I once saw a documentary on TV about this subject. The bloke was sharing an insite to his life and his shopping bill.

He was the so smug and arrogant I dispised him by the end of it. I think if my memory serves me correctly he went on holiday with the money he had saved from not buying his food. Good for him I hear you say!

I work hard and have to pay cash for my food. Nothing unusual there. This chap, he had a job, a good paying job. He could afford to go in through the front door of a supermarket and BUY food.

If there is so much stock binned like some of you say, why can't they do like some of the shops in the City, and give it to charities. Charities helping people to eat who have no choice but to rummage around in bins for their daily bread.

[Keef]

Exactly right!

[Huguenot]

I did talk to someone who tried working with a charity which distributed unwanted food. In the end they had to shut down because the homeless people didn't want food, they wanted money for drugs. The poor chap was attacked a number of times by the people he helped because they were insulted by the offer of food.

Wierd eh?

[Ant]

I agree it would be better that it went to someone really deserving. But given that it's not, surely it's better that someone, somewhere eats it? (Or would that merely be supporting wasteful overproduction?)

[MadWorld74]

it's a catch 22...

[Asset]

I joined freecycle today and also noticed there is no Soutwark group. You can join the general London group though.

[mamafeelgood]

regarding the reference about the homeless drug problem years ago i was doing research about the situation in london, over and over the care workers repeated that drugs are taking over and making it harder and harder to help. clearly not all homeless people are in this situation but in the west end many echoed the complaint that it was all about getting cash for drugs not for food or shelter.

however, i don't think that there is anything wrong with diving in bins for food even if you are earning yet, there is a lot wrong with being a smug git about it!

[Keef]

I don't think that taking food out to the streets will be particularly helpful, however well intentioned... However, your average soup kitchen is well used by those people who actually do want food, and will go somewhere to get it... Why can't this waste food be sent to charity kitchens where people could go for decent meals?

I think I may have the answer to my own question.... As it is at its "sell by / use by" date, they probably can't legally give it away... These days are the really problem, as generally they're bo!!ocks.

I still get p!ssed off when some reasonably well off git is taking the food from the bins to "stick one up to the corporate giants".... Just hope he's careful not to ruin his designer trousers made in an Asian sweat shop, whilst he's rummaging! ;-)

By the way, did anyone watch that thing about the human footprint last night? Think it was on more4.... Very generalised, but made you think about things!

[mamafeelgood]

how ironic: that human footprint disgusted me, wasting food to just prove a point. how ironic, the guy in the bins doesn't bother me, however much he or she may or may not earn. yet a television company wasting how many eggs for the money shot?

[Keef]

I thought the same about the eggs, but I wasn't SURE they were actually real eggs...... Maybe I'm just being naive :-S

[jemimastar]

I would love anyone who considers themselves a Freegan to please please get in touch with me! I work for a tv production company and am at the early stages of research on a project on Freeganism exploring this interesting movement, but can't really proceed untill I have made contact with a London Freeganist and asked you a few questions about this lifestyle, plus I would love to accompany you ona Freegan foraging and take some pics- at this stage for our teams eyes only!

Please get in touch, will give you a private email-

[email protected]

[mamafeelgood]

having worked in docs for many years my first instinct is never trust anyone in telly. for example: why haven't you got a production company email? or would that break the media secrets act? also, are you the same lot that got in touch with the vegetarian society for contacts? if not there are several companies out on the search for freegans

... sorry ... it's all based on my own experience. but luckly for you i'm not a freegan.

[jemimastar]

WOW MAMAFEELGOOD- thanks for being so positive and not at all scathing and judgmental! You may have worked on 'docs' but I have 5 years direct tv experience and give this email as- havign worked in TV yourself you would know- just as you seem to think tv peeps cant be trusted- I also don?t wish to give a work email for all and sundry, not necessarily genuine Freeganist at all to get in touch with random rants.

I am not the 'same lot' who got in touch with Vege soc- no?!

We are really fascinated by this movement, with landfills over full, retailers wasting far too much decent food and politically minded people willing to take a step to help this, we find this a really fascinating subject to cover and really want to give this movement the coverage it deserves and help spread the word. To really get to the bottom of what makes Freegans tick however, we need to meet you! We would like to invite 5-7 Freeganists to out office in SW London to have a chat over breakfast in our cozy, very green and ethically run studio canteen, on us of course. I am a strict veggie for 18 years and genuinely very concerned about many of the same issues Freegans seem to be, so please lets have a chat.

Please don?t be discouraged by this very cynical person, herself very vague about having worked in 'docs' no mention of what with whom but feels free to criticize me! Please, please email me....

Thanks! :)-D

[mamafeelgood]

channel 4, BBC mainly, politics and history, post 9 p.m. 1 hours, and i bailed out because of some of the most unbalanced editorial decisions i had to witness, channel 4 being the worst. work in the arts now. myself and my point of view wish you nothing but good luck, but i too am allowed to have an opinion and sadly 'tis not a positive one.

also, i'm not lying about another company getting in touch with the veggie society, but if you're not interested fair play.

[louisiana]

Back in 1981, when we (ahem) 'opened up' what became the Bonnington Cafe, at 11 Vauxhall Grove, much of the food used in the cafe was liberated from the Nine Elms complex (you'd go collecting during the day to cook that night). In these circumstances, it's easier to trust food that's veggie. Many in the area did likewise: I remember one endless hot summer of peach smoothies made exclusively with Nine Elms liberated peaches, by someone in the Square.