This week, we shine a spotlight on a crucial cause—National Food Waste Prevention Week. Over 600 organizations nationwide, includingthe City of Seattle, City of Tacoma, Department of Ecology of State of
Washington, and several other Washington-based organizations, are raising
awareness as a rallying cry for us to rethink our relationship with food.
Embrace sustainability in our daily choices
It’s a call to action, urging us to embrace sustainability in our daily choices and recognize our power to effect change. The grim reality is that over 40% of food in the United States ends up in landfills, squandering precious resources such as water and land used to the energy for fertilizer, refrigeration, and transportation - and contributing to the food insecurity that plagues 34 million Americans. It’s a cycle of waste that impacts not just our wallets but our planet, emitting unnecessary methane and leaving a scar on our collective conscience.
What if chickens could be the answer?
Imagine this: a staggering third of all calories produced in the U.S. go uneaten, tossed away without a second thought. What if, instead, this bounty could sustain those who give us so much in return? An example is Kipster, an innovative farm in Indiana, pioneering a radical shift in how we feed our farm
animals and, by extension, ourselves. Or an award-winning start-up company Mill, who turns household scraps into chicken feed and recently received their commercial feed license in the State ofWashington.
New food-recycling system
Mill’s innovative new food-recycling system makes it easy for people at home to preserve the value of food by turning food scraps into a resource for farms and gardens, instead of the landfill. Mill starts with a new type of kitchen bin that dries and grinds food scraps overnight into clean, dry grounds that don’t
smell or rot and can stay in the bin for weeks. Once the bin is full, customers can send them back to Mill’s facility in Mukilteo, Washington, where they are turned into a chicken feed ingredient, or use them locally in community farms and gardens.
Matt Rogers, Cofounder and CEO ofMill
"At Mill, we believe in a future centered around strong local food systems and
community networks that keep food out of landfills. We give a lot of credit to
regulators at AAFCO, FDA, and the Washington State Department of Agriculture
for their recognition of the growing urgency and momentum behind reducing food
waste and need for food recycling. We're excited about what the ability to
transform household food scraps into resources for farmers means for Mill, and
we're optimistic about the additional innovation this can unlock. I'm hopeful
that others will join us in this critical fight against food waste and
improving our food systems"
At the heart of Kipster's revolution is a simple, yet profound idea: transform surplus and by-products from our food systems into nutritious feed for chickens. Picture this—chickens dining on oat hulls and misshapen pasta, turning what would be waste into wholesome eggs. This isn’t just recycling; it’s a leap towards slashing the carbon footprint of egg production by half, proving that animals can be partners in our quest for a greener planet.
SandraVijn, Kipster’s Executive Director in the U.S., puts it bluntly:
“Growing crops to feed animals is an inefficient way to feed humans.” By sidestepping the
traditional reliance on corn and soy, Kipster's approach confronts the
inefficiencies of our food system head-on, challenging the status quo and
illustrating a path where food waste becomes a relic of the past.
Kipster is more than a farm; it’s a beacon of hope, offering eggs that are not only
cage-free and carbon neutral but also a testament to a future where humane
treatment and environmental stewardship go hand in hand.
Available at Fred
Meyer and QFC throughout the State of Washington, these eggs come with a
promise—a better world, one egg at a time.
Contact
Kipster, Sandra Vijn, Executive Director, Kipster– sandra@kipster.farm
Mill, MollySpaeth, Communications - molly@mill.com