Healthcare Enrollment Begins NOV 1st

Open Enrollment for 2018 runs from November 1, 2017 to December 15, 2017. However, this is a shorter enrollment period than previous years. If you don’t act by December 15, you can’t get 2018 coverage (unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period). To find more information about Healthcare coverage plans, deadlines, and whether or not you qualify for Medicaid or Special Enrollment periods then visit healthcare.gov here. 

‘Healing Through Harvesting’: Gleaning Unwanted Fruit Helps Refugees In Need

The Iskashitaa Refugee Network (IRN) is an intergenerational network of Tucson volunteers and UN refugees from Africa, Asia and the Middle East, who locate, harvest, and re-distribute locally grown fruits and vegetables which would otherwise go to waste. In short, this network helps refugees find community and purpose through gleaning backyard fruit, which they can eat themselves and share with other Arizonans in need.

“Iskashitaa — which means ‘working cooperatively together’ in Somali Bantu, the ethnicity of many of the early volunteers — provides more than just healthy food. It also serves as a refuge and an opportunity for those whose lives have been radically disrupted. “We help refugees belong to something, and we give them a chance to give back to a country that gave them a second lease on life,” says Barbara Eiswerth, the founder of the IRN. – NPR, the salt

Using Food to Preserve Food And Fight Food Waste

“Edipeel is made from natural oils that are found in the peels and seeds of all fruits and vegetables. When washed onto the surface of produce, Edipeel forms an invisible “peel” of edible plant material that naturally slows water loss and oxidation — the factors that cause quality loss and spoilage.”

“Apeel Sciences is rolling out Edipeel, a product for fresh food growers and retailers made entirely from extracts that are found in all fruits and vegetables, that provides a protective layer for fresh produce. When applied to harvested produce, Edipeel helps to maintain freshness and minimize food waste providing benefits to growers, distributors, and consumers. This completely natural method makes it possible for growers and distributors to reduce their use of chemical preservatives, reduce reliance on refrigeration, and reduce the amount of harvested produce lost to spoilage. Growers can avoid harvesting before ripeness, allowing fruits and vegetables to develop full nutrition and flavor and allowing consumers to purchase healthier, longer-lasting produce.” -Food Tank