Discount Veggies from Jonathan Bloom on Vimeo.

I can understand why the store culled these items and put them on the discount rack. But, as you can see, they’re not trash.

I’ve started noticing the same store that sells these discounted bags of produce just throwing veggies in the trash cans out on the sales floor. This bugs me more than some other stores just dumping hundreds of pounds in the dumpster. I guess it’s because this store has shown that they know these items have value. But, through apathy, laziness, poor judgment or a combination of all three, some of the produce guys are just tossing them in the bin at their feet.

I have been threatening to do some “vlogging” for some time. When I saw this banana on the sale produce rack at my supermarket, I knew I’d found my muse.

Out, Out Brown Spot from Jonathan Bloom on Vimeo.

Apologies for the camera work, my assistant was just so excited when she saw that the banana was pretty much fine. (And this was a one-take deal once I’d peeled the banana.)

Before shooting the video, I was really curious to find out if the outer blemishes would affect the inside. Then again, I’m a bit obsessed with that kind of produce blemish guessing. I think there’s a game show in there somewhere.

More than game shows, though, what I’d really love to see is a round of homemade public service announcements urging people to reduce food waste. If the USDA isn’t going to take on waste, we should. I can just see it now: “Give a hoot, don’t waste fruit!” Right, Woodsy?