Waste not, Want not

We harvested our broccoli weeks ago, but we've still been enjoying fresh broccoli time and time again since then.  Wanna know how we do it?

First, let's back up a bit.  Like maybe 3,400 years ago.  In the Bible, the Book of Leviticus tells us in Chapter 19:

9 ‘Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am the Lord your God.

Back in those days, this was 'welfare'.  Farmers were commanded (by God) to NOT pick up every single grain from their fields and to NOT pick up fruit that falls on the ground in their orchard or vineyard as this was to be left to the poor to pick to eat.  In the Book of Ruth, we see this law in action as Ruth, the Moabitess (a foreigner), goes to the field of Boaz to glean grain after the harvesters so that she and her mother-in-law, Naomi, could eat.

Now, fast-forward back to the future to the broccoli in our garden.  Most of the broccoli that is grown in the United States is produced in the fertile Salinas Valley in California.  More than a decade ago (time flies!), I was blessed to be able to be on the Rice Leadership Development Team.  One of the things we did was to visit the Rice growing areas in California.  We took a side trip to the Salinas Valley to see vegetables being grown.  It was remarkable.  I stood in fields where there was broccoli growing as far as the eye could see.  We watched them harvest the broccoli heads and pack them into boxes that were gathered and flown to distribution centers from which 18 wheelers would pick up the broccoli to be trucked to a grocery store near you.

Once the broccoli head was picked, the commercial grower then plows the plant under and prepares to replant.  What a waste!  You see, after the main head has been harvested, the plant is still trying to produce seeds.  So it sends out shoots, miniature broccoli florets, to hopefully be allowed to bloom and produce seeds.  You can see some of them below from our garden:


Shoots from the side of a broccoli plant

These florets are great to eat.  Similar to Ruth (only not in Boaz's field, but our own), we bring a colander out to the garden and pick the leftovers from the first harvest and continue to eat on them for weeks.  Waste Not, Want Not at Our Maker's Acres Family Farm!

A Second, Third, and Fourth Harvest

The plant has been programmed by the Creator to yield fruit and produce seed, so it keeps trying.  As fast as we pick it, it sends out another shoot.  Almost everyday you must harvest the broccoli florets as they are "bolting" to flower and produce seed.  Here is one that we didn't quite get to in time and it has produced beautiful yellow flowers.

Broccoli that has flowered

Here is a broccoli plant from which we've gleaned all the smaller florets:


Picked clean!

And here is the fruit of our labor (literally), a colander of tender broccoli florets ready for steaming with some butter and to serve as an accompaniment to tonight's steak.

Broccoli florets for supper

In a commercial situation, it is just not possible from a labor standpoint nor is it feasible logistically to do this with broccoli, but can you imagine the amount of food that is wasted?  Tons of it!  We don't waste on our farm.  We eat the main broccoli head, as well as all the little florets for weeks.  Many people don't know that you can eat the leaves and stem as well.  Today, I tossed them over the fence to our cows, who were waiting like the 'needy' in Leviticus to consume the 'second gleanings' from our field!