One in six Americans struggles with food insecurity. Yes, we said Americans. Yet 40 percent of all food goes to waste. While a good part of that percentage is derived from people throwing out half-eaten grub, another significant chunk of waste is generated far before a meal reaches a diner's plate.

On this particular winter Wednesday, 26 labeled boxes containing 554 pounds of apples, citrus, salad greens, kale, squash, garlic, turnips, cucumbers and radishes have been collected by friendly volunteers wearing hats and aprons that say "Food Forward."

Picking corn, I mulled it all over. How sorely disconnected we are from our food from where it comes from, how it's grown, who grows it, even how to cook it to who gets access to it.

In order to make way for bad yields, bad weather, and unexpected disasters, (or just to make sure they have enough to satisfy their customers), most farms will end up with more than they can sell.