How to Reduce your Feed Bill
Jan 29, 2023
There is a program that you can apply for to get free food from a grocery store in your area weekly!
Many farmers, especially new people, are not aware of this program! Once you sign up it takes about a year to get in! So once you are done reading this article go sign up!!
We participated in the Loop program for the past few years and it's been such a help on our farm!! We have cut back on feed, and when fed appropriately, is very beneficial for extra nutrition for your furry and feathered farm friends!!
What is Loop?
It is a program to help reduce waste where your farm benefits!
Once your farm is approved, you are assigned to pick up a load of food usually 1-2 times per week in your area( or as close as they can get you) at a grocery store based off of what your farm critters will consume.
This will consist of veggies, fruit, meat, bakery, etc. whatever is available on your designated day and time slot.
Here is some more info from their site directly!
“Loop is based on a simple idea:
Food should be put to its highest and best use.
We provide simple systems with safe liability structures that enable food wholesalers, retailers, and producers to divert one hundred percent of their unsaleable food away from landfill, and towards those in their community who can use it best.
For stores, it means diverting unsaleable food away from the landfill while reducing staff time and saving disposal costs.
For charities, it means access to food for their programs without overwhelming their resources.
For farmers, it means food that can be used as feed for their animals, as bio-energy, or as compost.
For all of us, we believe it's a simple, sustainable way to do the right thing for the environment while helping strengthen our communities.”
Our Farm critters look forward to their extra food every week in fact as soon as they here us unloading they all start making lots of noise and get very excited because they know what is happening next lol!
Once you apply online it takes up to a year to get approved. When you apply, you should get an email back thanking you for applying. Make sure you save that email and information on it including the date that you applied, you may need it to check up later !! If you are not contacted within a year, reach out to them to check up on your application!
Once your application is approved they will reach out to you to let you know it has been approved and to ask you some questions about your farm to make sure that they give you the best options for pick up! You will also get options of the stores nearest to you that you can choose.
Then they will get you to sign up for training to teach you the rules of picking up the loop, sorting it, and being part of the Loop program. This training only takes about an hour and it is online over zoom!
Once you have completed the training you are ready to start arranging to pick up your Loop each week and your furry and feathered creatures will never be happier!!
Sign up right away so your farm can enjoy the same benefits as our farm and many others!!
With Loop, we are all in it together and there is less waste!!
