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Indiana Ag News Headlines
Jarden Uncovers How Gardeners Prevent Food Waste
Indiana Ag Connection - 06/28/2016

With benefits like fresh and healthy produce as well as saving money, it's no wonder that about one out of three households (36%) participate in food gardening*. While a bumper crop of extra produce can be a common consequence for gardeners, research by ORC International on behalf of the Jarden Home Brands, Fishers, Ind., and makers of Ball home canning products found that gardeners are anything but wasteful. If you're the lucky friend of someone with a green thumb, prepare your appetite: nearly three quarters (71%) of gardeners share more than half of the food grown in their gardens. Forty percent (40%) of gardeners plan to preserve half or more of the food they grow this season and 44% freeze it for later use. Only 9% toss it out, citing two main reasons for doing so: their gardens yielded more than expected (44%), or their produce spoiled before they were able to use it (40%).

While it takes extra time and care to grow your own food, more than half (58%) of gardeners believe homegrown is healthier and 51% say it saves money. And gardeners are no strangers to canning, regardless of age. Three quarters (77%) of gardeners have canned, frozen or dehydrated foods to preserve them, 33% of whom are millennials. Truly reaping what they sow, gardeners take the extra step to preserve their crops, driven by two important motivations: 46% want to eat foods at their seasonal peak freshness year-round, and (54%) like to know exactly what is in their food, a growing concern even influencing packaged food purchases.

Gardeners growing food are most likely to grow vegetables (86%), followed by herbs (60%) and fruit (50%). Gardeners' favorite seasonal crop? One third (32%) said tomatoes. As gardeners become more daring, exotic crops like habanero and ghost peppers are also making their way into America's gardens. In terms of high yield and "excess produce," tomatoes top the list for gardeners' (55%), followed by peppers (28%) and cucumbers (23%).

Still, you don't need an acre of land to grow your own garden. Many make due with a raised bed in the backyard or a modest window box. The research also found that one quarter of gardeners are city dwellers, suggesting they likely have limited outdoor space.

An information-rich resource for all who find themselves with extra fruits and veggies, The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving features 200 of the best canned, jammed, pickled and preserved recipes, like Salsa Ranchera for extra tomatoes or Chow Chow for unused cucumbers & peppers.


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