Remembering Our Friend and Fellow Food Rescuer Kenn Bowen
It is with heavy hearts that we honor the life and legacy of a remarkable individual, Kenn Bowen, who dedicated himself to serving his community as a Veteran for Peace, advocate for immigrant rights, and as a food rescue volunteer with Table to Table. Alongside his beloved wife, Pat, Kenn selflessly stepped forward during a time of great volunteer need, leaving an indelible mark on our organization and the lives of those he touched.
We’re thinking of Kenn and Pat this week as we get our produce stand schedule started for the summer. Kenn & Pat volunteered at our Free Produce stands during the summer months, building community and distributing fresh produce with a smile and a kind word. This was in addition to faithfully covering their weekly route. Together, Kenn and Pat were an unstoppable duo, always willing to lend a helping hand wherever it was needed.
At a gathering of T2T volunteers last summer at Big Grove, AmeriCorps member Alyssa remembers her first encounter with Kenn, who would become a regular volunteer in the program she led: “From the moment we struck up a conversation, it was clear that Kenn had a knack for storytelling and ‘dad’ jokes. He effortlessly embodied the welcoming and inclusive nature of Table to Table, making everyone around him feel at ease.”
Each time he saw Kenn, T2T Volunteer Coordinator Jared Long would share his own weekly joke, and it became a lighthearted goal to elicit an eye roll from Kenn — a small victory that Jared cherished. Kenn’s quick wit and dry humor reminded us not to take ourselves too seriously and added a touch of levity to our work. His clever quips, travel stories, and engaging discussions on current events made him an unforgettable presence.
Kenn never held back from sharing his thoughts and opinions, providing valuable insights and feedback. His honesty and engagement in our work were qualities that we greatly respected. We knew that when Kenn expressed his views, it came from a place of genuine care and a desire to make a difference. His candidness was appreciated in the environment of open dialogue and growth T2T works to cultivate.
We mourn the loss of a dear friend, a dedicated volunteer, and a man of integrity. But let us also celebrate the profound impact he had on our community. In honor of Kenn Bowen, let us carry his spirit forward. Let us continue the vital work he began, being a true friend, advocating and lifting the voices of our most vulnerable neighbors, and bringing comfort to those in need. May we approach our tasks with the same dedication, passion, and humor. His legacy of compassion and service lives on in our hearts and in the continued efforts of Table to Table.
Food Waste Profile in Johnson County
With Food Waste Prevention Week from April 10-16, Stop Food Waste Day on April 26, and the Love Food, Fight Waste program hitting its one year anniversary, it is time to celebrate!
According to the 2022 Iowa Statewide Material Characterization Study conducted by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, approximately 20.4% of what ends up in the Iowa City Landfill is food waste. In 2022, the Iowa City Landfill properly landfilled 130,109.46 tons of garbage from our service area – Johnson County, Kalona, and Riverside. Of that, about 26,542 tons was food waste.
While that is a lot of food waste, we are thrilled to report that our Johnson County community has successfully reduced landfilled food waste. The last waste characterization study was conducted in 2017 and found that food waste made up over 25% of materials entering the Iowa City Landfill. A 5% reduction might not seem like a lot, but in fact, that equates to over 6,000 tons of food! Way to go, Johnson County community!
Why do we want to reduce food waste and keep food out of the landfill?
When food is wasted, it wastes all the resources that went into growing, manufacturing, distributing, and transporting that food. At the landfill, once garbage is compacted into place by our trained Landfill Operators, there is no air (oxygen) or light in a landfill hole. This is the perfect environment for methane, a very potent greenhouse gas, to be produced in the absence of oxygen and in the presence of so many organic materials (food waste). One of the best things each of us can do to take climate action is to reduce food waste.
A great alternative for food waste disposal is composting. While we encourage good, edible food to be eaten as the first priority, we will always have the inevitable banana peels, eggshells, and coffee grounds that we want to responsibly dispose of. Composting is a great option for those items! For a deep dive into composting, check out this Love Food, Fight Waste article on composting.
Who is recovering food in Johnson County?
That 5% reduction in food waste over the past five years was aided in part by Table to Table’s (T2T) increase in food recovery. T2T saw up to a 60% increase in the amount of food rescued annually since the last waste audit.
Table to Table manages a complex food rescue network throughout Johnson County involving more than 100 food donors and 50 recipient organizations. Food donors include area stores, warehouses, processors, restaurants, farms, markets, and gardeners that donate their unsold or extra food to Table to Table. T2T volunteers deliver this food directly to organizations that are serving our neighbors in need so this food reaches people as quickly as possible. These organizations include food pantries, shelters, hot meal sites, and youth programs that connect rescued food to our neighbors. Ultimately, people rescue food by eating it: using it for its intended purpose!
In 2022, T2T recovered 2.2 million pounds of food, redirecting it throughout our community where it was needed and feeding more than 22,000 people. More than half of this food is produce, protein, and dairy. Remember that the top five most commonly wasted foods are apples (produce), potatoes (produce), cheese (dairy), milk (dairy), and bread. T2T is making a huge local impact in these most-wasted categories.
T2T rescued food provides about half the total food that the three largest local pantries distribute. Plus, recovered food helps provide more options, including vegan and gluten free foods and a variety of produce grown locally.
Activity
- Rescue food in our community! If you have a little extra room in your schedule on weekday or Saturday mornings, sign up to volunteer with Table to Table. Volunteer opportunities include recovering and delivering food on food rescue routes, prepping our food rescue vehicles, and harvesting veggies in farm fields this summer. Visit T2T’s volunteer page, email volunteer@table2table.org, or call 319-337-3400 for more information.
- Educate yourself on local options to donate extra food and personal care items. Here are just a few wish lists from organizations serving our neighbors:
- CommUnity
- Coralville Community Food Pantry
- North Liberty Community Pantry
- Food Pantry at Iowa
- Iowa City Free Lunch
- Shelter House Iowa City
- You may also bring items (dry goods, garden produce, pet food, and hygiene products) to Table to Table to deliver throughout the local hunger relief network.
Resources
- 2022 Iowa Statewide Material Characterization Study
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Iowa Department of Natural Resources article: “A Land of Plenty Wasted – Food Waste in Iowa”
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Iowa City Press Citizen article: “Johnson County residents get access to free, healthy food thanks to local nonprofits”
Read more Love Food, Fight Waste topics, brought to you by Table to Table and the City of Iowa City.
Table to Table delivery services affected by theft of catalytic converters
Iowa City, Iowa, March 20, 2023 – Table to Table (T2T), a volunteer-based Iowa City non-profit organization that recovers and delivers half the food distributed to people facing food insecurity in Johnson County has had services disrupted after theft of catalytic converters from their food rescue vehicles.
Upon arriving at T2T to launch food rescue routes this past Friday morning, T2T staff and volunteers discovered two vehicles were completely disabled, missing their catalytic converters. This pricey part has been the target of a nationwide rash of thefts. While this stolen part may get thieves only $50 to $300 at a scrapyard, this small nonprofit will have to pay $1,500 to $3,000 to repair and replace the parts, and then even more to protect these vehicles and the others from future catalytic converter theft.
With just a small fleet of refrigerated cargo vans, T2T volunteers collect and redistribute 45,000 pounds of food each week in Johnson County. This is a critical lifeline local neighbors need now more than ever due to drastic reductions in SNAP benefits enacted in April of 2022, and a dramatic increase in food prices that have led to a rapidly changing (increasing) food insecurity landscape in Johnson County. As resources at T2T’s local partner organizations including local food pantries and emergency meal sites are stretched thinner and thinner, every pound of food T2T can deliver is critical. Due to these thefts, T2T is currently operating without a quarter of their regular fleet, making it harder to capture all the food available as long as the vehicles are out of commission.
T2T needs community support to get the vehicles back on the road and bring operations back up to full capacity. Costs estimated for the affected vehicles exceed $5,000 and estimates to protect their remaining vehicles is not yet known. To donate, please visit table2table.org/donation
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Table to Table is a Johnson County non-profit that bridges the gap between abundance and hunger. Table to Table volunteers keep wholesome, edible food from going to waste by collecting it from local food donor organizations and distributing it to local anti-hunger organizations. T2T has distributed well over 30 million pounds of food locally since its founding in 1996.
Deep dive into composting
Banana peels, watermelon rinds, corncobs, eggshells, coffee grounds – the list goes on of food scraps that we don’t traditionally eat. Once we’ve eaten the banana, scrambled the eggs, and drank the coffee, what can we do with these non-edible scraps? Compost them!
Monthly Topic Overview
The Love Food, Fight Waste program has focused mainly on food waste reduction over the last several months because preventing food waste from forming in the first place is the top priority for reducing our environmental footprints. This priority is concerned with edible foods – the banana, not the peel; the egg, not the shell. For these non-edible food parts, composting is a great alternative to throwing these items out.
Below are several common questions related to composting answered.
What is composting?
Composting is the process of turning organic material (food scraps, garden/yard waste) into a nutrient-rich material that can be added to lawns and gardens to improve the health of the soil and the plants that grow in it.
Decomposition, the breakdown of materials, happens naturally in the environment. For example, leaves fall off trees during autumn and slowly decompose into detritus (organic matter) with the help of bacteria and bugs.
Composting is “facilitated decomposition.” The organic material in a compost pile is still naturally breaking down with the help of bacteria and bugs. In addition to this natural breakdown, Compost Operators facilitate this process by turning the pile to let oxygen in. Oxygen is needed for the materials to decompose.
What is organic material?
Organic material includes the following:
- Food (including fruits, vegetables, grains, meat, dairy)
- Garden/yard waste (including branches, grass, leaves, flowers, plants)
- Paper (including shredded paper, greasy/cheesy pizza boxes, paper napkins, paper towels)
- Clean paper, such as a pizza box with no food on it, is also fine to recycle.
- Shredded paper, due to its small size, is difficult to successfully sort at our recycling sorting facility in the mix of other materials which is why we do not accept shredded paper in curbside recycling. Shredded paper can be composted, or it can be recycled via the paper bin at a local recycling drop-off location.
What can be composted at our local Compost Facility?
All of the materials listed above in the last question: food, garden/yard waste, and paper products!
Who can compost at our local Compost Facility?
The Iowa City Landfill and Recycling Center, where the Compost Facility is located, serves all of Johnson County (residents at no cost, and businesses for a fee).
Where is our local Compost Facility?
The Compost Facility is located at the Iowa City Landfill and Recycling Center on the west side of town, 3900 Hebl Ave. SW, Iowa City. The facility is open Monday to Saturday from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
How does our local Compost Facility make compost?
From start to finish, the composting process takes about one year at our facility. Here’s how it works:
As clean loads of organic material come into the compost facility at the landfill, it is piled in a designated area. Our Compost Operators use equipment to lift material from the pile and load it into the grinder equipment. The grinder shreds the organic material into evenly sized pieces. This shredded material is then formed into long rows that are approximately 12 feet high.
The organic material in a compost pile is naturally breaking down over time with the help of bacteria and bugs. In addition to this natural breakdown, Compost Operators facilitate this process by turning the material with equipment once per month. As the bugs and bacteria are working away breaking material down, they produce heat, water vapor, and carbon dioxide. Turning and mixing the material is an important step because it allows oxygen in and releases heat which maintains a healthy temperature and oxygen level.
During the processing time, each compost row is required to maintain a temperature of at least 132 degrees F for a consistent two-week period. This requirement ensures that heat kills harmful bacteria and pathogens.
After several months of decomposition, monthly turning, and consistent monitoring, the material processes into the nutrient-rich soil amendment that we call compost. Before it is available to the public for sale, the compost is fed through the screener equipment to pull out any large organic pieces that did not properly break down or contamination pieces. It sits for one month to return to ambient temperature, and then it is available for sale to residents and businesses in Johnson County.
How can I compost at home?
- Curbside composting
- Curbside composting is available to Iowa City residents living in single-family homes up to 4-unit apartment buildings ($3.50/month on utility bill).
- If you are a curbside customer, check out the composting website.
- Backyard composting
- Learn how to compost in your backyard with these composting resources.
- Take materials to the Compost Facility
- If you would like to reduce trips and wait until you have a larger quantity of food waste, place in the freezer until you are ready to compost to avoid odor and rot issues.
Don’t forget about source reduction!
Composting is a food waste disposal method that is environmentally-better than landfilling, but it is still waste. It is important to eat edible food as the first priority to prevent wasting good food and to reserve composting for the non-edible food parts.
Activity
If you compost:
Look in your compost bin to see the different items that have been thrown in. Are the food items non-edible, like coffee grounds, or are they food items that could have been eaten and instead were wasted, like moldy bread?
If you don’t compost:
Look in your trash can to see what has been thrown away. Do you see any non-edible food waste that could be composted? Check out the tips above to learn how you can get started with composting.
Resources
- Residential Curbside Composting Information:
- Home Composting Resources
- Learn more about the Iowa City Landfill services and the Compost Facility with this short video.
- NPR’s 5-step guide to composting
- Beginner’s guide to composting: How do I compost? Where does it end up? How does it help fight climate change?
Read more Love Food, Fight Waste topics, brought to you by Table to Table and the City of Iowa City.
A year of “moving the needle” and a vision for the future
Allison Gnade’s first year as T2T’s food rescue Program & Services Manager
Allison Gnade has experienced many sectors of our community’s complex food system. She’s worked in grocery stores, on farms, and in a restaurant, dabbled in catering, and was once a long-time vendor at the Iowa City Farmers’ Market. (You may remember her sweet and savory tarts!) She’s a gifted writer and worked for eight years as editor of New Pioneer Food Co-op’s magazine and food blog, allowing her to visit farms and interview food producers throughout Iowa and see firsthand how, as she put it, “Growing food for humans in Iowa is such a challenging vocation, in spite of our fertile natural resources.”
These experiences and more led her to her current role as T2T’s Program & Services Manager – as she describes it, in her enthusiasm about the role: “an actual job saving food from going to waste, reducing the entire food system’s environmental footprint, by getting it to people who need it at no cost, thereby moving the needle just a little, even if just a little, towards less inequality? Sign me up.”
Her role at Table to Table is multifaceted. She maintains and improves our food rescue operations and builds relationships with partners to learn how we can best meet the needs of our neighbors. All of this ultimately strengthens the hunger relief network in Johnson County, which is no small feat, but she’s up to the challenge: “I don’t think I could find an organization more aligned with my personal motivations and values!”
Now, one year into the role, she’s helping T2T make concrete steps toward these goals. She has improved our AmeriCorps member onboarding and training process and led four AmeriCorps members in their work on access and equity, gleaning, free produce stands, and local food recovery last year. She led staff and AmeriCorps members through developing an Access and Equity training curriculum that partners will be able to use to train their own staff and volunteers on a variety of topics. She’s revised T2T standard operating procedures and helped recruit, hire, and onboard a team of seven staff & AmeriCorps in the past year.
Allison has also led an analysis of food donor contributions and relationship opportunities, with a vision for growth of these critical relationships. Now, she and the team are envisioning a donor and partner appreciation program that we’re excited to continue to implement in the coming years, and working to increase culturally appropriate and high-nutrition foods that are highly sought-after by partners. She’s also joined community conversations, including representing T2T on the Local Homeless Coordinating Board and exchanging ideas and support with the national Food Rescue Alliance, helping our operations align with our community’s needs and learning how changes in policy affect our constituents and our work.
When we asked her what drew her to T2T’s mission, she surprised us by sharing that this mission alignment began wayyyy back… all the way back to elementary school. She remembers, with a laugh: “When I was in second or third grade, I wrote a book called The Map to Food Land. It was about a group of starving animals that decided to work together to find a mythical map. This project involved the cooperation of a variety of mostly-unrelated animals clapping their paws together five times, doing a handstand under particular circumstances ‘in the city,’ which magically deposited said map in a garbage can, and led them to a grocery store to live in. [The End.] Some interests don’t change over time.”
As we ask all new T2T staff members, we needed to know Allison’s favorite food memory, and she couldn’t stop at just one. As a child, she fondly remembers: “Sitting on the porch swing eating peaches off our tree after riding the school bus home, peach juice dripping from my elbows.” In her college days, she remembers avoiding her homework by: “Finally mastering how to make caramel sauce, after the umpteenth try. Pro tip: don’t stir it!” More recently, favorite food memories include her young daughter: “Remembering and requesting – by very specific recipe – the birthday treats (which were more like projects) I made her in preceding years,” including a spiraled cake with luxuriant black currant icing, and lemon cupcakes studded with raspberries, topped with fluffy lemon curd frosting. Yum!
Allison conveys her passion for reducing food waste into her role at T2T with thoughtfulness and contagious enthusiasm. We’re very glad to have Allison, with her dedication and passion for food, food systems, and equity, on our team.
