veg. and fruit garbage

Hi. I had an idea and thought "wow, what a good idea" And then I tried to do it. I thought I'd call the grocery stores and ask if I could have a box of the stuff they have to throw away, you know rotted fruit, cabbage leaves, etc. So I started calling. Most of them already have someone who picks it up for pigs. The others can't give it away, they have to throw it away. (Yees, I asked if I could get the boxes out of the dumpster, but they have locked dumpsters. Then I found out you have to have a license to get it. Finally found one store who snuck me out one little box since I only wanted it one time. They have a pig farmer too.

Long story short, after 2 hours of phone calls one little box

Can't believe I can't even get garbage.
Do any of you get stuff from grocery

I used to get coffee grounds from Starbucks....

There's not a Starbucks around here. Well, there's one in Longview, I guess next time someone goes there I might could call and see if they'd save me some.
Wer're all ingenious anyway.

Hi! I completely agree with LorraineR: it's a GREAT idea to utilize those over-the-hill veggies and fruits that the produce people clean out of the bins at the market and then discard. In fact, I often score a box for my compost pile from the three different markets I frequent. But it's kind of hit or miss; I can't really depend on anyone saving the discards for me. I just have to be there at the right time. So on my grocery shopping trips you can see me sidling around the produce department, lustfully eyeing the brown romaine leaves and too-ripe peaches that the produce person is culling. I ask if I may have them for my compost heap, and offer to come back in a few minutes when the box is full. I usually make a comment about "helping the earth" (which is true) and no one has ever refused me.
If I were more organized and had more free time, I'd figure out when exactly the produce-bin clean-up happens at each of the markets I frequent, and then shop then (morning is often a good time.) But I just make sure to check what's happening at the good old produce section whenever I shop, and it works pretty well.

Funny how when we make a "score", it's so much fun and we feel like we've really done something. The people there probably think we're crazy, but doesn't it feel good to add "free" stuff to the pile

It DOES feel so good--you're right, LorraineR--to get that free box. But I feel that way every time I dump in a "contribution" to my compost bins, even if it's only newspapers I have painstakingly torn up- - but especially when it's kitchen scraps. "Here you go, little compost pile," I say, as I drop in whatever I'm adding. "Have a good lunch! Chew it right up!"
I probably AM crazy. Do earthworms understand English?

They don't understand English, but they do understand

garbage + newspaper = worm food. YUM.

Yes, I think they understand too. Funny, I talk to mine too. I swear I can see a mouth in there opening up for the scraps. !!!

Oh, we might BE certifiably nuts. But it's a good nuts.

Lorraine,

Ask a few restaurants if they want to get rid of vegetables scraps and peelings. Sometimes if you provider a container with a lid they'll remember to put the scraps in it for you. I'm sure fast food places that sell pre-packaged salads would have throw aways. Call a few places and inquire. Ask around at nursing homes and hospitals. Who knows !! You could luck out and find several places that would be willing to give the scraps to you. Far too much useable material never makes it into the compost bins.