Help Us Use Food Well!
Help us better understand community needs and develop resources to help households Use Food Well. The survey below takes approximately 3–5 minutes to complete.
Help Us Use Food Well Survey!
Enter to Win!
Complete the survey for an opportunity to enter a drawing for food saving tools like a silicon freezer trays and cookbooks.
- No purchase or payment is required to enter or win.
- One entry per person/household.
- Only one prize winner per household.
- WSU employees are not eligible to participate in the prize drawing.
- Your name and contact information collected for the prize drawing will be used only to administer the drawing and contact the potential winner
- Prize-drawing information will be kept separate from your survey responses whenever possible.
- Drawing deadline October 30, 2026
- Winners will be notified November 1, 2026. Prizes must be picked-up at WSU Skagit County Extension office located at Westar Lane, Suite A, Burlington 98233
Participation in the survey is voluntary. You may skip any question you do not wish to answer.
Washington State University is an equal opportunity educator and employer.
Prevent Food Waste Entries
The Skagit Food Waste Prevention Coalition
We bring together farms, food access organizations, educators, businesses, public agencies, and community partners working to prevent wasted food and keep edible food serving people, farms, and the local environment. Meet the partners helping make that work possible.
Skagit Gleaners: Food Recovery & Community Food Access Partner
Skagit Gleaners supports a more resilient local food system by recovering food that might otherwise go to waste and sharing it through a community-driven model. Their work connects local farms, families, volunteers, and members around food access, sustainability, and practical solutions to wasted food.
Skagit Solid Waste: Helping turn wasted materials into better community and environmental outcomes.
Skagit Solid Waste supports Skagit Food Waste Coalition through waste reduction education, organics diversion and community partnerships that help keep food waste and other materials out of the landfill. Their work encourages practical solutions for prevention, recovery and responsible materials management across Skagit County.
Water Tank Bakery: Local Grain & Food Craft Partner
Water Tank Bakery creates breads, cookies, and baked goods with a focus on local ingredients, long fermentation, and sourdough levain. Their connection to Northwest-grown grain and neighboring Cairnspring Mills makes them a strong example of how local food businesses can support regional agriculture while encouraging thoughtful use of ingredients
Skagit Valley Food Co-op: Local Food Access & Community-Owned Grocery Partner
Skagit Valley Food Co-op is a community-owned natural foods grocer in downtown Mount Vernon that has served the Skagit Valley since 1973. The Co-op supports local food access, sustainable agriculture, prepared foods, community giving, and public education around food, shopping, cooking, and composting. As a coalition partner, their work helps connect everyday shoppers with local food choices and practical ways to reduce waste at home and in the community.
Skagit Valley College: Education & Workforce Partner
Skagit Valley College serves Skagit, Island, and San Juan counties and offers programs connected to environmental sustainability and small farm agriculture. As a coalition partner, the college can help connect food waste prevention with student learning, workforce development, community education, and sustainable agriculture practices.
Port of Skagit: Food System Innovation & Economic Development Partner
The Port of Skagit’s Value-Added Agriculture Innovation Partnership Zone supports partnerships that strengthen the local agricultural industry through research, technology, innovation, job creation, and new businesses using Skagit Valley products. Its work connects food waste prevention to economic development, product innovation, and long-term agricultural viability.
Genuine Skagit Valley: Local Food Identity & Farm Promotion Partner
Genuine Skagit Valley celebrates and promotes the farms, foods, flavors, and agricultural heritage of the Skagit Valley. By certifying and elevating Skagit-grown agricultural goods, the program helps build public awareness of local food value, which supports the coalition’s goal of keeping good food recognized, respected, and used well.
The Skagit Table: Local Food Access & Prepared Foods Partner
The Skagit Table creates meals, catering, and seasonal menus built around local farmers, producers, and Skagit Valley ingredients. Their work demonstrates how prepared food businesses can support local sourcing, reduce waste through flexible seasonal menus, and make local food more accessible through ready-to-eat and heat-and-eat meals.
Lautenbach Recycling: Organics Diversion & Composting Partner
Lautenbach Recycling helps keep organic material out of the landfill by recycling green waste and food waste into compost, soil products, and other circular-economy uses. Their licensed composting work supports local gardens, farms, landscapes, and regional waste reduction goals.
WSU Food Systems Program: Research, Education & Statewide Food Systems Partner
The WSU Food Systems Program brings together extension, research, and teaching to support food systems work across Washington. As a coalition partner, the program can help connect Skagit County’s food waste prevention efforts with broader expertise in sustainable agriculture, food access, producer support, and systems-level education.
WSU Skagit County Extension Food and Health: Community Education & Food Waste Prevention Partner
WSU Extension Food and Health programs provide education and resources that support safe, healthy, and nutritious food access. In Skagit County, this work connects directly to food waste prevention through public education, food preservation, home food management, and practical tools that help households make better use of the food they buy, grow, or receive.
WSU Breadlab: Regional Grain Innovation & Food Systems Partner
The WSU Breadlab works on regional grain systems by developing grain crops, supporting nutrition and sustainability, and engaging people in conversations about what they eat and how it is produced. Their work brings a strong grain, bread, and food innovation perspective to food waste prevention
WSU Skagit County Master Gardeners: Home Gardening, Composting & Community Education Partner
WSU Skagit County Master Gardeners provide research-based gardening education and year-round assistance to home gardeners through plant clinics, farmers market booths, community events, and online resources. Their work supports food waste prevention by helping residents grow food successfully, compost garden and kitchen materials, improve soil health, and make better use of what they harvest.
United General District 304: Healthy Eating, Nutrition Access & Community Wellness Partner
United General District 304 supports community health through prevention-focused programs that include healthy eating, family services, youth engagement, active living, and community education. Their work connects food waste prevention with nutrition access, healthy cooking, Farm to School efforts, fresh food resources, and practical support that helps families make good use of healthy food. United General also hosts WIC clinics and supports programs such as the Skagit Fruit & Veggie Prescription Program.
Skagit Soils: Organics Diversion & Composting Partner
Skagit Soils helps keep organic material out of the landfill by recycling green waste and food waste into compost, soil products, and other circular-economy uses. Their licensed composting work supports local gardens, farms, landscapes, and regional waste reduction goals.
Skagit Food Waste Prevention Events
Know the cost of Food Waste.
On our own, our efforts may feel like nothing…but when we all make small changes – the results can be huge!
Buy Wisely
Cook Carefully
Eat It All
Did you know?
- The average Skagit County resident disposes of nearly 4 lbs. of waste every day, or 1,460 lbs. a year.
- A family of four can save an average of $1800 per year by preventing food waste.
- An estimated 25% of the food lost or wasted could be saved, it would be enough to feed 870 million people.
- Here in the United States, 40% of all food is wasted. In contrast, one out of every eight people is food insecure, one in six being children.
- In Washington, the Department of Ecology found that 17% of all garbage sent to landfills is food waste, and up to 8% was edible at the time of disposal.
- Food waste prevention strategies reduce the amount of food waste being created.
- Food Rescue and Skagit Composting reduce the amount of edible food that is discarded in a landfill.
Prevention is the priority, and now is the time to take action!
What are the words used to describe food waste prevention?
- Wasted Food: the edible portion of food waste.
- Prevention: refers to avoiding the wasting of food in the first place and represents the greatest potential for cost savings and environmental benefits for us all.
- Rescue: refers to the redistribution of surplus edible food to other users.
- Recovery: refers to processing inedible food waste to extract value from it, through WSU Composting or Vermiculture.
On our own, our efforts may feel like nothing – but when we all make small changes – the results can be huge!
Complete the scorecard to assess your food waste prevention habits.
Use Food Well SCORECARD
Your Journey toward a Waste Free Kitchen
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| One night a week, have a “Leftover Night.” Check Save the Food Prep Mate for inspiration! | 5 |
| Designate an “Eat this Now• area in the fridge for food that needs to be eaten soon. | 5 |
| Use your senses to decide. If food is still good to eat, rather than just the date on the label. Dates on food labels typically indicate peak quality, not safety. | 5 |
| Make the right amount of food for your family and for events – Use Save the Food’s Guest-imator to help calculate amounts at SaveTheFood.com guestimator | 10 |
| Learn how to store food correctly. SavetheFood.com storage is a great resource. | 10 |
| Reorganize your fridge to store items for maximum freshness. Visit Cook Carefully for helpful tips. | 10 |
| Use a food saving or sharing app such Fridge Night, Flashfood or Too Good to Go | 10 |
| Look up ways to eat parts of fruits and veggies that you have traditionally thrown out. Did you know that carrot greens and cooked potato peels are edible? | 15 |
| Teach your family or friend a food waste reduction skill. For example, you could show them how to creatively repurpose leftovers, or how to store different types of food to extend the food’s shelf life. | 15 |
| Makea meal that helps you use the food that might have been tossed. | 15 |
| Your Total |
5-25 Points+ Great Start
25-50 = Keep Going!
50-75 = Keep it Up!
75-100 = You’re aFood Waste Hero