Such is the case with the concept of gleaning. It started with demands made of the followers of God in Leviticus and Deuteronomy.
"When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest." - Leviticus 19:9
"When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be left for the alien, the orphan, and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all your undertakings." Deuteronomy 24:19
These "gleaning rights," as they would eventually be named, were also described in Leviticus 23:22, 19:10 and Deuteronomy 24:20-21. In biblical times it was particularly applied to grain fields, olive trees and vineyards. Gleaners rights, as described in the Bible, basically said growers should leave the corners of their fields unharvested, and if they failed to harvest all their produce in one pass they could not return for what they left behind. The corners and the missed produce were referred to as gleanings, and they now belonged to the needy.
I often wonder if Jesus made a reference to this in Luke 9:62 when he said: "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the service in the kingdom of God." To those who followed him at that time, the concept of looking back on a missed harvest would be a particularly good metaphor for keeping focused on God in spite of what you may have left behind or missed.
For many years, nations founded on the Bible would actually incorporate these practices into enforceable law. Countries that enforced this rule included England and France. England extended gleaners rights to landless residents, though that practice ended in 1788. Some Israeli rabbis of Orthodox Judaism still insist that these rules on gleaning apply during Sabbatical years.
The only place I know of with laws that require gleaning rights is Bali, where fruits hanging from a tree are - excuse the pun - up for grabs even if they grow on private land.
There are laws that prevent gleaning. Obviously there is the question of trespassing in the United States. Not so long ago in the Soviet Union, gleaning could be punished by death or 20 years of forced labor. Today the possibility of gleaning has been further complicated by liability risks. No farmer wants to be liable for something like food poisoning, especially if the person with food poisoning got it from food they took upon themselves to harvest from the discarded goods on a farmer's land.
In modern times, gleaning has taken on a larger definition to include the collection of food goods from garbages and dumpsters (which is also illegal in most places due to liability). In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration estimates 31 percent of food is "lost" at retail and consumer levels. That is an estimated 133 billion pounds or $161 billion worth of food.
This is due to a number of issues, one being our obsession with aesthetically pleasing produce that leads to the disposal of "ugly" food. There is also the question of financial gain.
I worked for a company that threw away many pounds of canned foods rather than find some means of donating them somewhere, even though the United States Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act of 1996 protects them from liability in such cases. "Best by" dates aren't meant to be taken as "throw away after" dates. However, they didn't get rich by donating food.
There are still places where you can glean, especially if you know a farmer with certain mass-produced crops. My family used to have some financial connection to a field that was often used to grow potatoes, beans and field corn. You can bet when the potato harvesters left rows of potatoes in the field we were right there to harvest a hundred pounds or more for the winter.
That practice is still welcome among certain farm fields in the area. It is a good idea to check with the owner first, but after that they will almost certainly allow you to harvest for years to come.
Homemade potato pancakes (Latkes) served with sour cream dip.Photo illustration, Shutterstock, Inc.
Potato Pancakes (Latkes)
Inspired by Taste Of Home
- 3 cups shredded, peeled potatoes (if using home shredded, keep them in water with lemon until ready)
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/4 cup grated onion
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3 tablespoons minced parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
Rinse the shredded potatoes to remove starch before starting. Drain thoroughly and pat with paper towels to remove excess water. Combine all ingredients, then scoop into 1/3 cup portions and pour onto a well-greased hot griddle. Fry each side until golden brown, then drain oil on more paper towels.
Bacon and potato crust quiche.Photo illustration, Shutterstock, Inc.
Potato Crust Quiche
- 1 large or 2 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced to 1/8 inch or less thickness
- 1 cup half and half or milk
- 4 eggs, beaten
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 8 slices bacon cut into 1-inch lengths
- 1 cup shredded cheddar or Swiss cheese (or half and half)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
Make sure to start with a liberally greased pie pan. Line the bottom and sides of the pie pan with your potato slices, overlapping slightly. You may optionally spray these potatoes with nonstick spray to assist browning. Bake this potato "crust" at 350 degrees for up to 30 minutes or until they begin to brown.
Once the potato crust is ready, add layers of bacon, half of the cheese, onion and the remainder of the cheese. Now mix the half and half, eggs, salt and pepper and pour it over your layered ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve like pie.
Travis Grimler may be reached at 218-855-5853 or travis.grimler@pineandlakes.com. Follow him on Facebook and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/@PEJ_Travis.
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Grim's Grub: A biblical right to food - Pine and Lakes Echo Journal
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