Market Chef Food Heroes
This summer, Seattle Public Utilities partnered with Seattle Neighborhood Farmers Market (NFM) to promote its “Love Food Stop Waste (LFSW)” program through chef-led demonstrations at local markets. The fun is continuing this fall and winter and we are excited to highlight this partnership during Food Waste Prevention Week (FWPW) to further raise awareness about food waste and promote practical actions to reduce it.
To date, SPU has partnered with NFM to collaborate on four chef demos this year, which included Chef Rachelle Belle, Chef Hend Yahya, Chef Tony Wilson, and Chef Omid Roustai. During these free public demonstrations, residents learn about food savings tips from chefs and are provided with SPU food waste prevention resources, such as our popular food storage guide.
Chef demonstrations are intended to inspire residents about how to prevent food waste at home, while also reminding everyone that we can all play a part in getting food out of the garbage and reverse climate impacts. Below are upcoming SPU-NFM chef demos:
- Chef Caroline Wright at the Lake City Farmers Market, on Saturday, October 17, 11 AM – 1 PM
- Chef Omid Roustai at the Magnolia Farmers Market (Holiday Market) on Saturday, December 5, 11 AM – 1 PM
- Chef Anna Sugiyama at the University District Farmers Market on Saturday, December 5, 10 AM – noon
While at these markets, you also have an opportunity to buy local — which means you get food while it’s at its freshest so it will last longer.
Local Art Food Heroes
SPU, Northwest Harvest, and local artists from Overall Creative have completed a vibrant new mural at the SODO Community Market that now serves as a colorful reminder of the Love Food, Stop Waste program, which encourages simple daily habits that help prevent food from going to waste. This work is intended to help amplify food waste prevention using art as a tactic, which was inspired by work done by Urban Green Lab.
The mural brings that message to life in a way that feels welcoming, creative, and rooted in the community. By placing sustainability messaging in a highly visible public space, this project shows how art can spark conversations, inspire new habits, and reflect the values of the neighborhood.
NW Harvest is one of our Food Heroes to celebrate this week along with our Chefs at Farmers Markets. And you can be a Food Hero too!
You Can Be a Food Hero Too!
Preventing food waste at home is one of the simplest, most effective ways to help mitigate climate change. Follow these tips from our LFSW Program:
- Plan meals and shop smart: only buy what you need. Make a meal plan and stick to your list to avoid impulse purchases.
- Store food correctly: keep fruits and veggies fresh longer by storing them in the right place. For example, apples last longer in the fridge, and potatoes prefer cool, dark places — but not the fridge.
- Eat what you buy: get creative with leftovers or make a “use-it-up” meal once a week to clear out the fridge.
- Compost food scraps: If it can’t be eaten, compost it. Seattle makes it easy with curbside composting bins.
- Know the dates: “best by” and “sell by” dates are often about quality, not safety. Don’t toss something just because the date passed — check if it still looks, smells, and tastes good.
And to learn more about the work SPU is currently doing to tackle food waste, check out all the resources on our Love Food Stop Waste Program and Food Waste Prevention Week. As a community, we can all be Food Heroes to Love Food and Stop Waste!