Vance Kekoa
"Live a minimalist lifestyle framed around a personal Eco-Decathlon challenge."
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 16,605 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO2,448zero-waste mealsconsumed
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UP TO66,422gallons of waterhave been saved
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UP TO32poundsfood waste recorded
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UP TO1,353poundsfood waste prevented
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UP TO11advocacy actionscompleted
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UP TO2,736minutesspent learning
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UP TO2,451zero waste recipescooked
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UP TO2,825pounds of CO2have been saved
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UP TO8.0documentarieswatched
Vance's actions
Food Systems
Smart Seafood Choices
I will visit seafoodwatch.org or download the app and commit to making better seafood choices for a healthier ocean.
Shopping
Scrutinize Deals
Five bananas for $1 is a good deal only if you eat all five. Many stores offer the sale price even if you buy less than the stated quantity.
Planning
Date Labels Demystified
I will not toss food once it is past the best buy date. "Expiration" dates misleadingly refer to quality, not safety. Use your senses and best judgement.
Planning
Eat Me First
I will create an "Eat Me First" area in my fridge to prioritize food that needs to be used right away.
Food Waste Tracking
Food Waste Tracking
Ready. Set. Record!
For each day during the food waste tracking week, record your food waste. This action accepts one entry per day, so be sure to enter one total for food waste across all of your meals, or weigh all of your food waste once at the end of each day. Please use ounces for unit of measurement.
Planning
Portion Planning
Use a portion size guide to ensure appropriate portions when cooking. I will cook 5 portion-appropriate meals.
Planning
Fridge Inventory
I will keep a fridge inventory to stay up to date with what I have in my fridge before I go grocery shopping.
Community
Dumpster Diving Discovery
Watch this video and get a glimpse of what is actually getting thrown away in our trash cans and dumpsters.
Community
Watch John Oliver Food Waste Episode
Watch a Last Week Tonight with John Oliver episode on the topic of food waste and learn about the scope and scale of the issue.
Food Systems
Stay Connected
Sign up for the San Diego Food System Alliance Newsletter to stay up to date on what's happening in the region
Cooking
Swap This for That
Missing an ingredient for a recipe? Check this list to find the best substitutes.
Cooking
Repurpose Leftovers
Give leftovers a new life! For example, use leftover rice to make fried rice. I will try a recipe that repurposes leftovers 3 times.
Community
Half-Portions
I will ask for half-portions options at 10 restaurants and cafes to minimize food waste.
Food Systems
Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty
I will watch 2 documentary(ies) about food sovereignty: the right of local peoples to control their own food systems including markets, ecological resources, food cultures and production methods.
Planning
Meal Prep Mania
I will meal prep 8 meals.
Planning
Food Donation
I will donate extra food. If you or your work place are hosting a catered event and have trays of extra edible food, there is no need to toss it. With a little planning your celebratory feast can help feed others.
Community
Watch Save The Food San Diego Videos
I will watch 2 Save the Food San Diego videos.
Community
Train Like a Chef
I will watch 2 online classes on "Creating a Full Use Kitchen" through the James Beard Foundation.
Participant Feed
Reflection, encouragement, and relationship building are all important aspects of getting a new habit to stick.
Share thoughts, encourage others, and reinforce positive new habits on the Feed.
To get started, share “your why.” Why did you join the challenge and choose the actions you did?
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Vance Kekoa 12/27/2020 1:17 AMSave The Food San Diego Ecochallenge grand prize award goes to Team CRAVEN 4700: SMALL BUT MIGHTY! -
Vance Kekoa 12/05/2020 2:45 PMCongratulations to the County of San Diego for the monumental participation effort! -
Vance Kekoa 12/05/2020 2:35 PM26 days left in a 458 day ecochallenge, a long journey requiring a commitment level that is clearly intended to change poor habits into great habits...for life. -
Vance Kekoa 11/28/2020 11:45 AMPortioning down a traditional dinner like Thanksgiving means changing some habits that have been passed down through generations. That was met with more resistance than initially anticipated, after all food is culture. Lesson learned: food education is the easy part, overcoming long standing culturally preserved habits is the hard part.-
Sarah Feteih 12/02/2020 3:34 PMA great reflection for this holiday season, Vance!
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Vance Kekoa 9/29/2020 9:01 AMCSUSM UPDATE: The Save The Food San Diego Ecochallenge has been going on for exactly 1 year today! Only 3 more months left to complete the challenge and TEAM CRAVEN 4700 (with all of 6 members) has just past the 20,000 point total! We are second place in the team standings, only behind SD County (they have 301 members on their team). CSUSM as an organization, with both teams combined, have over 30,000 points and solidly in second place! We are CSUSM Strong!! -
Vance Kekoa 3/24/2020 8:58 AMI hope all of you are enduring this challenging time in the best way possible. Now more than ever, I find it impossible to ignore the invaluable benefits of participating in the Save the Food EcoChallenge. It only takes a few of these good habits to feed willpower. -
Vance Kekoa 1/24/2020 9:41 AMSMALL BUT MIGHTY defined...TEAM CRAVEN 4700 all of 6 employees represents less than 5% of all CSUSM ecochallenge participants, yet we are responsible for 60% of total ecochallenge points awarded to CSUSM!! -
REFLECTION QUESTIONPlanning Date Labels DemystifiedWhat is your first reaction when you see an item that is past its "Best By" date? Where do you think this reaction comes from?
Vance Kekoa 1/20/2020 10:21 PMMy first reaction use to be...'don't eat this after the date' or even the day before the date indicated on the label. This reaction likely came from both an understanding that the distributor will not guarantee the quality after this date, translated to 'I may get sick' and past personal experience with milk spoiling before the actual date on the container. -
Vance Kekoa 1/20/2020 9:03 PMCongratulations CSUSM! We are the first organization in the SD Save the Food Ecochallenge to breakthrough the 20,000 point total! That's 20,000 in 2020! -
Vance Kekoa 1/20/2020 8:22 PMIt's the best feeling when the servers come to take all your plates and there is no food on any of them! The strategy that seems to work the best, make the minimal volume when first ordering your food (which will feel like you are under ordering). If you're still hungry then order a chaser...don't be surprised when you don't need too.-
Sarah Feteih 1/21/2020 8:23 AMThis is a great example of using the EPA Food Recovery Hierarchy - source reduction is at the top of the pyramid as an effective strategy!
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