Thursday, October 09, 2008

I have to one degree or another been a Freegan and a survivalist my entire life Following is a Breakdown on Freeganism get some ideas!


Times are getting tough and I want you to learn how to be frugal and survive when most will not just in case.Following is a Breakdown on Freeganism get some ideas!
Freeganism is an anti-consumerist lifestyle whereby people employ alternative living strategies based on "limited participation in the conventional economy and minimal consumption of resources. The website freegan.info states that freegans embrace community, generosity, social concern, freedom, cooperation, and sharing in opposition to a society based on materialism, moral apathy, competition, conformity, and greed." The lifestyle involves salvaging discarded, unspoiled food from supermarket dumpsters that have passed their display date but haven't passed their edible date. They salvage the food not because they are poor or homeless, but as a political statement.It isn't just food it is everything. Watch for discards do not be proud be safe!

The word "freegan" is a portmanteau "free" and "vegan" Freeganism started in the mid 1990s, out of the antiglobalization and environmentalist movements. Groups such as Food Not Bombs served free vegetarian and vegan food that was salvaged from food market trash by dumpster diving. The movement also has elements of Diggers, an anarchist street theater group based in Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco in the 1960s, that gave away rescued food.

Many freegans get free food by pulling it out of the trash, a practice commonly nicknamed dumpster diving in North America and skipping or bin diving in the UK, as well as bin raiding. Freegans find food in the garbage of restaurants, grocery stores, and other food related industries, which they claim allows them to avoid spending money on products that exploit the world's resources, contribute to urban sprawl, treat workers unfairly, or disregard animal rights. By foraging, they believe they are keeping perfectly edible food from adding to landfill clutter and that can feed people and animals who might otherwise go hungry.

Wild foraging and urban gardens: Instead of buying industrially grown foods, wild foragers find and harvest food and medicinal plants growing in their own communities. Some freegans participate in "Guerrilla" or "Community" Gardens, with the stated aim of rebuilding community and reclaiming the capacity to grow one's own food. In order to fertilize those guerrilla gardens, food obtained from dumpster diving is sometimes also reused. In many urban guerrilla gardens, vermiculture is used instead of ordinary composting techniques in order to keep the required infrastructure/room small. Guerrilla gardeners claim to seek an alternative to dependence and participation in what they perceive as an exploitative and ecologically destructive system of global, industrialized corporate food production. It isn't just food it is everything Learn how to make do, adapt, overcome!

Sharing
Sharing is also a common freegan practice. Food Not Bombs recovers food that would otherwise go to waste to serve warm meals on the street to anyone who wants them. The group promotes an ethic of sharing and community, while working to show what they consider to be the injustice of a society in which they claim fighting wars is considered a higher priority than feeding the hungry. Really, Really Free Markets are free social events in which freegans can share goods instead of discarding them, share skills, give presents and eat food. A free store is a temporary market where people exchange goods and services outside of a money-based economy.

Freegans also advocate sharing travel resources. Internet-based ride sharing reduces but does not eliminate use of cars and all the related resources needed to maintain and operate them. Community Bike Programs and Bike Collectives facilitate community sharing of bicycles, restore found and broken bikes, and teach people how to do their own bike repairs. In the process they build a culture of skill and resource sharing, reuse wasted bikes and bike parts, and create greater access to environmentally friendly transportation. Freeganism

I must admit I have been receiving some very surprising info from a 65 year old friend who is a millionaire and was one of those who moved to California in the 60s. Anyway he sent me the article on Freegans meaning?
I have to one degree or another been a Freegan and a survivalist my entire life, not dumpster picking but anything else is fair game and I will do whatever I have to in order to come out on top and my friends you better be prepared too. I originally lived at an Aggie and was the student Farm manager. I butchered animals on Holidays for extra money. I traveled around the county teaching citizens various aspects of taking care of their livestock etc.

I lived at, worked or managed every kind of farm you can imagine. I always raised my own veggies and fruit. I can do everything! Survival and living off the land are lifelong lessons of mine. When I got out of the service some friends from California wanted me to go to California and start a commune but I didn't. we are trying to get things going here as we have to be out now by 10/31 and in the new house the same day or even sooner things are moving so fast. There is 50 or more years of clutter here cellar to attack to clear out. You just be prepared make sure you know how to get by. I have posted on survival, gardening, making potable water, everything many times as has Betmo and Wease. Anyway things are going to get very hectic soon so thank you and bear with me. I don't know how active I will be able to be for a while and you know things are already hectic because of my sons and things. Take care!

James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
www.anaveragepatriot.com

9 comments:

Unknown said...

I really like this movement although I don't know if I can ever do it. I do NOT like the germ/contamination factor, no matter what they say. But it's probably my own paranoia (and hey I'm a virgo, look it up).

Thanks for posting!! Very helpful.

jmsjoin said...

Hi Helen
I must admit like you I have a problem with dumpster diving for food. I am praying it does not get that bad. However we must be prepared to do whatever. This is just beginning regardless of what they say! Watch what happens this fall and remember Bush has to January 20th to do his worst.
It is going to be another hectic day and I have someone on their way to help me empty the attic and cellar. We have to be out by 10/31! I will be a little absent for a while so please bear with me. I value some of you female bloggers. Take care!

Weaseldog said...

When I was 20, I was arrested and convicted of theft for getting items out of a dumpster. I learned later that it's not illegal. But as I plead guilty, it stuck.

That misdemeanor got me turned down by the Air Force when I showed up at their recruiting office.

Be careful about this activity.

amphibious said...

Helen - if you are still reading, don't worry about germs. Think about how amerikans get sick when they first ocme to Europe - not because it's unhygenic but different biota. Similarly when euroid sgo to India they get the same runs & dribbles but onbly for a week or so. they their intestinal flora gets with the (local) program.
Think of it another way, look at the miles of shelf space in the supamarts devoted to cleansers, antiseptics, deodorisers and such high priced on essentials. The more bacteria that is killed, the more virulent the remainder becomes by simple darwinism. There used to be an old saw "one has to eat a peck of dirt before one dies". Me, I haven't eaten dead animal for almost 50 yrs - arm wrestle anyone? But at least I live on my own land surrounded by wilderness and will hunt & rend flesh if need be, when, not IF, falls apart. In this country. truckies (teamsters to you) are mostly self employed and are NOT paid for waiting hours, sometimes days, to discharge their loads at the megamarts. Saves the retailers warehouse space but it's destroying the independent truck owner. A couple more rises in the price of oil, as your northern winter jacks up the price of heating oil, and the urbanoid masses are going to find the shelves bare.

jmsjoin said...

Amphibious
I missed you bud! You certainly have a good take. The old me would have loved to arm or leg wrestle you or anyone els. I have a few sons that would get a kick out of it though! Take care!

jmsjoin said...

Wease
That is funny! Never food at least not yet but I always scoured the dumpsters of big stores especially I have a gorgeous set of antique legs I made a chess top for 30 years ago. I got them in someone's rubbish. When I lived in Ipswich an old guy a buddy of mine who showed me the best clamming flats use to take me around on dump day. He was a character and a great story! Take care!

francis said...

Even the manifesto pamphlet "Why Freegan" (written by Against Me! drummer Warren Oakes in 1999) is unclear in its definition of what constitutes freeganism. At one point, it defines freeganism as "an anti-consumeristic ethic about eating" but goes on to describe practices including dumpster diving, plate scraping, wild foraging, gardening, shoplifting, employee scams, and barter as alternatives to paying for food. Motivations are varied and numerous; some adhere to freeganism for environmental reasons, some for religious reasons and others embrace the philosophy as a form of political consciousness. A short documentary film, Bin Appetit, gives reasons why people become freegans.

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francis
Link Building

jmsjoin said...

Francis
Welcome! Very good! I do not recommend stealing but I am a life long survivalist. I respect everyone and everything but I will utilize anything available! Th last couple of days I have had a bunch of stuff out front with a sign please take. Most of it disappears I am happy to say! To me Freeganism is not just food but everything. You see people building houses today from what they find at the dump. That is pretty cool!

jmsjoin said...

Francis
Thanks for the link! Some day I will put some time into getting over 1,000 articles pamphlets and books read. I am too caught up in this mess and can't find the time myself!