The big beasts (supermarkets) are charging between 7 to 13 euros per kilo of cherries?!?! I am referring to the non-organic. Organic can be found double the price. How come?
Fresh food here in Portugal is super expensive, considering that the majority of the country lives on minimum wages in which is super low. Eating well here can be a fortune. I make a considerable effort to consume organic and buy from small homegrown food stands at the farmers market, which is not that cheap. Honestly, I spend about one-quarter of my income living in the Uk, eating 100% organic from the local farmers market. Here in Portugal, if I want to keep up my whole fresh foods intake, it will take about half of a minimum wage income. It is utterly ridiculous.
So for the last few months, I have been looking at alternatives:
I looked into dumpster diving on supermarkets bins. And guess what? Here they keep the bins locked. In the UK, they allow it to happen as it is a waste at the end of the day. Here is prohibited, and if you are seen doing it, you get a judgmental look from the employees and report the situation to the manager. This all scenario really triggers a critical thought process. This example of reality makes me think sheep have more brains than humans, or some humans are just sheep. (My apologies in advance, I do not want to offend. But I have a hard time finding compassionate thoughts when fellow human beings choose to follow messed up rules and regulations that are unkind to us all, other living beings and mother nature)
Then I looked into getting in touch with locals who waste their own produce. Most of the people in the countryside do have fruit trees. Some are happy to give way others not, would instead let the fruit be wasted. Happy to have met some generous people who are delighted to share their wasted fruit.
I tried to contact small farmers, but most of them sell their wasted produce to other companies, like charities, and are not interested in selling weekly wasted produce to us.
Foraging here can find sorrel, nettle, mushrooms and dandelions. I have to study more about the local plants and learn what else can we consume safely.
Last but not least, I began to help myself on abandoned or not taken care of farms.
My beloved husband @autobodhi harvesting delicious cherries. They are sweet and juicy. :)
Inland here is becoming empty, and not very far from where I am, there is a bunch of owned land with cherry trees that haven't been taken care of. I tried to get in touch with the owners, but they are not living locally. From what I was told, the owners are not interested in the property, they inherited and would love to sell it, but they are not allowed. Only from the 7th generation can the land be sold.
It is a beautiful piece of land filled with trees and an old stone mansion. Has clean water and a tank. Not only cherry trees but also hazelnuts and chestnuts, lemons, oranges, and figs.
Old pine, olive and oak trees. It is very peaceful, free from modern life noise pollution, and in my eyes, it is a fairyland.
Every time I visit, I dream of all the things I would do to bring that fairyland back to life. I dream of how could I support the local community with it, and how would I make it self sustainable, and how would I improve the quality of the soil. The story of this piece of land made me realise how unique we are all. What is one's nightmare is someone else dreams, hopes and wishes.
What a crazy world!
With much love, light and blessings, I thank you all for your support
I am very grateful. Special thank you to the @naturalmedine community.
They are supportive, approachable and very down to earth.
Interesting piece. It is unfortunate that we waste a lot of resources, food inclusive, while millions can benefit from such resources. I usually frown at people that eat their foods halfway in restaurants and leave the rest to waste. Try to salvage such foods and the locals will look at you like a mad person. I am glad you were able to get something, but I really hope you will not be accused of intruding on a private property.
100% agree. And I was very wary that entering someone's property is not correct, and I could easily create trouble for myself. But I did inform myself before haveresting. I talked to a local who know's the owners and have passed the word. They were fine with me picking cherries.
Thanks for passing by and supporting
Much love.
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