I have started taking my extra eggs to the foodbank. Also today, there was a lot of chicken/pig bread. Ruth is still tossing the breads she doesn't like into the chicken and pig boxes when they have only been there one day, but at least they are surviving the day so people get a shot at them. I took three loaves today when we were cleaning up before they could get bagged for livestock. I also claimed the bag of tomatoes and donuts for my chickens. The other egg lady didn't bring any eggs today, and Jim already had five big garbage bags in his truck of bread and produce to split between her chickens and his pigs. So, I don't feel badly about sharing the livestock food, but I do still have mixed feelings about the whole thing.

jim also took a ten pound bag of sugar (we don't give out sugar, which I also have mixed feelings over. People need sugar to cook from scratch which is cheaper and if you have more time than money, I think it would be good if we gave you sugar if you want it. We give you coffee if you ask for it. And cakes. And kool aid in gallon jugs....) And two jars of peanut butter (we do sometimes run out of peanut butter, so I'm kind of judgey about that) to make fudge. He brings in fudge and brownies for the volunteers. Again, I guess if it motivates people to volunteer, that's good, but all I heard was old women complaining that he is making them fat (but they will eat the fudge)

also, apparently we put beets out on the free extras shelf instead of using them in the canned vegetable allotments because "you don't know who likes beets". You don't know who likes peas either.

and Ruth doesn't know why we even give out bran flakes because "nobody likes them. They just get thrown out." Betty and I each told her that we buy bran flakes. On purpose. At the store. Because we like them. I try to put one sugared cereal and one not sugared in each bag when we have enough for two cereals. I wish we could ask people stuff, but sometimes we don't have time, and even when we do have time, Frank would get upset about "taking orders" and "playing favorites". But I would be happier if the Ruths got the lucky charms and the Bettys got the bran flakes.

when we lived in Virginia a long time ago, I participated in a program called "Share" - you had to do a certain number of documented hours of community service every month and then you could buy a grocery share for $13.50. I can't remember how many paper bags of groceries it was, but I couldn't carry them in one trip. 6?4?, anyway, I discovered that if I got there early and hung out in the parking lot, I could trade most of our meat, dessert and snack food away for vegetables, fresh fruit, pasta, and cooking ingredients like butter, flour, and cornmeal. I always felt a little guilty about that too, but I'm pretty sure the people I traded with thought they were getting the better deal.