Wonky Carrots
What a lot of waste!
by Janice Ross
Suitable for Whole School (Pri)
Aims
To consider the reasons for wastage on farms and how we can decrease it.
Preparation and materials
- You will need a bag that contains a cabbage, a jar of mayonnaise and some carrots (two normal ones and two wonky ones).
- You will also need the PowerPoint slides that accompany this assembly (Wonky Carrots) and the means to display them.
Assembly
- Tell the children that you are going to have salad for tea, so you have decided to make some coleslaw.
Show the bag to the children and take out the ingredients one at a time – first, the cabbage, then the mayonnaise and then one of the normal carrots.
Look concerned and point out that you will need more carrots. Take out another normal carrot and then the two wonky ones. - Ask the children, ‘Have you ever eaten a wonky carrot? What did it taste like? Do you think I should use these ones here?’
Listen to a range of responses.
Help the children to understand that wonky carrots taste the same as normal ones and can be used in the same way; they’re just not the perfect shape or size. - Point out that carrots come in many shapes and sizes, from long and straight to weird and wonky.
Show Slide 1.
When farmers harvest their carrots, they can’t be sure that every single one will be straight and pointy.
Show Slide 2. - When supermarket buyers come to buy carrots from farmers, they are usually very strict. They want all the carrots to be straight and pointy because most of their customers want them to be like this.
Show Slide 3.
As a result, thousands of tonnes of carrots are thrown out as not fit for eating. What a waste of perfectly good food! - Thankfully, many people have begun to complain about all this wastage. So, nowadays, you can buy bags of wonky or imperfect carrots.
Show Slide 4.
The carrots can still be sold, but they are labelled as wonky or imperfect carrots and sold at a lower price. However, many people still want to buy long, straight carrots, even if they cost more. - Show Slide 5.
Explain that the problem of wonkiness doesn’t only affect carrots; many other fruit and vegetables have the same issue. Some potatoes are considered too small, or too big; some raspberries are too ripe, or not plump enough; some apples aren’t red all over.
What a shame if all of this food goes to waste! - Show Slide 6.
Fortunately, people’s concern about this wastage has made a difference. Many have formed small groups and approached their local farmers to ask if they would be allowed to pick the discarded fruit and veg, and share it with people in their community. That way, everyone can enjoy fresh produce at the same time as reducing waste. Many farmers are very happy to allow this.
Time for reflection
In Biblical times, farming waste was not a problem because God told his people how to make sure that no one went hungry.
He told the farmers always to leave some of the harvest for the poor. This was called ‘gleaning’.
Show Slide 7.
The farmers told their reapers not to cut the strips of land at the edges of the fields. Then, those in need could collect wheat and other crops so that they had food to eat.
The farmers who owned vineyards told their pickers to pick only once; any other grapes should be left to ripen for the poor.
In this way, food was provided for the poor, orphans, widows and foreigners.
Ask the children to think about the food that they waste. How often do they throw away their food? Encourage them to think about waste, and how we can lessen it.
Prayer
Dear God,
Thank you for the many fresh fruits and vegetables that we enjoy all year round.
Help us not to waste what we have.
Help us to be grateful and to remember how fortunate we are.
Please help us to learn how we can care for those who don’t have enough food.
Amen.
