Freegans Start Food Co-op In Brooklyn

Dinner is served. (Flickr user street stars)

Times Trend alert! This week, the Times put on their work shoes and got cozy with some dumpster divers in Greenpoint. But unlike other "freegans," these folks seem pretty organized. They call themselves Grub, and they dumpster dive to supply a bi-weekly "cheap, simple dinner for friends and co-conspirators."

The divers managed to find foodstuffs ranging from organic juice to kale and blackberries. Eric Levinson, a yoga instructor, said of the gathering, “It’s a way to feed a lot of people for free. And it’s a way to raise awareness of the way food is wasted." However, since they don't actually need to scavenge to survive, the group of artists can afford to be picky. Most of their food is bagged inside supermarkets, and never comes into contact with other garbage. But Grub member Jeff Stark said it isn't about the food, it's about the community. "Grub provided a recurring space to come back and check in with an extended community. You could find a place to stay, a bike to ride, a show to play, all in one shot." He also made a documentary about the gathering, which you can watch below while you count the days until somebody opens a scavenged-menu restaurant in Brooklyn:

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By Jaya Saxena in Food on August 29, 2010 1:40 PM

Comments [rss]

robingee

I believe there is a lot of packaged food that also gets dumped. If they pick it up right at closing, then what's the diff? I know places that waste tons of food; West Point, for example. They throw away boxes upon boxes full of perfectly good food, and no one is allowed to take it for some reason. Sometimes food banks won't accept perfectly good food either. I say let the Freegans do what they want, how can anyone have a problem with saving food?

Såkandulæredet

From Seinfeld, George Costanza eating out of the trash.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGHTcF4thLw

Tony

Don't these people know that the Department of Health pretty much lives in Greenpoint, waiting on the next foodie-inspired thing for them to squash like the Food Market & The Claw???

luckmagnet

Are homeless people, and families living in shelters welcome?

Såkandulæredet

And this is where the bedbugs come from. Dumpster divers, couchsurfers and freeganners

exnyer

If you don`t mind eating/serving fly larvae more power to you.........quite unsanitary.

BongoBoy

Just sent it to diehipster.

In Our Hearts

More a bi-monthly community dinner than a food co-op.

Get in touch for more info about upcoming dinners! Contact us at inourhearts@gmail.com or find us on Myspace, Facebook, and at IOHNYC on Twitter.

John L

There's a group that goes to Perelandra on Remsen Street in Brooklyn Heights every night and goes through their garbage looking for food. It seems that Perelandra being aware of this packs it up in boxes specifically for them and places it in the street. I've seen them picking out some good looking stuff but there's no way I would do it.

Mordicai

It rubs me the wrong way, but I can't quite put my finger on it. Actually, the situation you've described-- the Perelandra joint-- sounds okay. First off, the first two books of CS Lewis' "Space Trilogy" are actually pretty great. Second off, getting rid of marginal food in a conscious way is...okay? I think there should probably be a smidge of oversight & I'd rather the food was going to people who NEED it than hipsters slumming it, but...I can see some benefits.

Thadeaus Umpster

It seems from your comment that you didn't read the actual story but perhaps you just missed this quote from the guy who lives in Crown Heights: “Because I’m from a working-class background the idea of salvaging things is a natural family value.”

Some people like to think that freegans are just hipsters or rich kids going through some slumming it phase. I suppose that is easier than acknowledging that not everyone in America can afford to purchase good, healthy, organic food.

nicemarmot

I know three freegans and they're all spoilt brat hipster trustfunders. I'm sure there are lower income people who do it, and I support them. But the movement is mostly composed of people who think they're actually solving some kind of social problem by eating half-spoiled food. They think that they are avoiding supporting the industrial food companies, perhaps? But actually they're just eating its leftovers. In fact, the idea itself doesn't really bother me - it's the way they do it.

Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be freegans...

potsmoker

JA, the wild child graffiti artist son of a very famous movie director would be tickled at the idea of hipsters crawling into dumpsters looking for food as a lifestyle choice.