UT Extension holds county food drive through Apr. 14

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) and partner agencies will host the third annual Food Waste Prevention Week April 1-7.
Gov. Bill Lee has issued a proclamation naming the week, which will feature numerous activities.
TDEC will partner with the University of Tennessee Extension; Clean Memphis; New Terra Compost; Zero Waste Nashville; Urban Green Lab; Tennessee State University; the Network for Sustainable Solutions; the Society of St. Andrew; and other organizations for a week of virtual and in-person education and outreach.
A statewide food drive, in partnership with the University of Tennessee Extension, runs through April 14 and is aimed at improving food security.
Throughout the next two weeks, Chester County UT Extension will provide educational resources and teaching about food waste and insecurity. Unused shelf-stable food times may be dropped off at 126 Crook Ave., Suite 202, in Henderson. All donations and contributions will go to the Community Soup Kitchen. Donations for the food drive can be made at https://www.getfoodsmarttn.com/content/page/food-waste-prevention-week. 
“TDEC is proud to be a part of this effort to bring awareness to the issue of food waste,” said TDEC Commissioner David Salyers. “This is a collaborative approach, and we want Tennessee to be a leader in this cause.”
Food Waste Prevention Week will begin with an event in Nashville at Tennessee State University, featuring a panel discussion of local experts (streamed also as a webinar) and chef demonstration to follow.
The week will culminate with events in Memphis, Nashville, and Chattanooga at local breweries April 6. Several brewers are partnering with local bakeries to take unsold bread and turn it into a brew to raise awareness about the issue.
The events will inform Tennesseans about the importance of reducing food waste, increasing food recovery, and other strategies. All events for the week, both virtual and in-person, are free, open to the public, and family-friendly. Please visit this link to find an event. The program is part of a larger national Food Waste Prevention Week where other states across the nation are involved in various capacities.
Throughout the year, TDEC provides education and outreach as well as technical assistance to organizations to address food waste through the Get Food Smart TN program. To learn more about the program, please visit GetFoodSmartTN.com.
For more information about the local food drive, contact Anna Nelson at 707-496-6824.