While in Ithaca Commons trying to find an observational story, I decided to stop at Collegetown Bagels. I got to thinking about what they do with their excess food, so I decided to look a little closer.
I thought this could make a good story for a few of the reasons we discussed in class. Primarily timeliness and proximity, this is something that is going on in the town we are in right now. There could also be arguments made for prominence (story potentially includes many restaurants students and locals frequent) and impact (could interest those that work with the homeless in Ithaca.
Steps I would take to further pursue this story.
- Try to interview restaurant owners/management to get a better idea of how much food goes uneaten and food disposal policies.
- Figure out if there are programs where food goes towards the homeless population.
- Contact local government policy-makers about whether they've considered trying to create incentives for excess food to be give away.
- Possibly bring some tools or gloves in order to be able to get better shots of food in dumpsters.
