Dehydration

The world is running out of food at an unprecedented rate.  Everyone in authority knows it.  A few with capacity, power and money are taking action to help fix the situation and protect the extremely poor around the world. However, pain and suffering are happening now (18 million will die of starvation this year alone with many more to die in the future).  Dr. Daves' books called GLOBAL FOOD REVOLUTION and FOOD IS POWER deal head long with this problem and the answers.  Get these books today on Amazon.com HERE.

Let's look at the United Nations ZERO WASTE CHALLENGE which is being mandated around the world at this time.  In a nutshell, here are the 5 mandates:

• Zero stunted children under the age of two
• 100% access to adequate food all year round
• All food systems are sustainable
• 100% increase in smallholder productivity and income
• Zero loss or waste of food

Looking at #5, we must come the point of ZERO WASTE from farm to table.  While we are losing 40% of all food grown globally, we must drop that to 0%. This will help us to save trillions of calories for the world's poorest, and make our planet's food production more sustainable.  But how do we do it?

DEHYDRATION OF FRUITS, VEGETABLES, MEATS

The dehydration process allows us to extract up to 90% of the water content and weight of a fruit or vegetable, and preserve it for six months to a year in proper packaging and environment.  Through the simple process of heat and air flow, we can take away the water from cut/sliced/diced/cubed foods and preserve their nutritional values for another time and another place.  When it's time to eat the foods, we simply reconstitute them by dropping them in water such as making soup, or we can simply eat the dehydrated foods the way they are.  As an added benefit, if we can dehydrate the food under 118 degrees F, the food is classified as a living food and the living amino acids are still alive.  The dehydrated foods believe that they are still living and the consumer benefits from all of the nutrient and living values of that food.  Not all dehydrated foods are processed at or under 118 degrees F, but it is possible, depending on the processor.

Our prototype facility in Chiriqui, Panama has a commercial level dehydrator system where we process, dehydrate and package various foods that would otherwise go to waste.  We package these foods for non profits, local charities and churches who are working hard to feed their poor, malnourished, at risk children in their communities.  Of course it costs money to provide these foods, purchasing the food, generator power, bags and machinery, and the cost of the building and dehydrator units.  We gladly receive tax deductible donations to help with these costs, and this is an operation of mercy towards those who are most in need.  if you would like to donate to our program, please feel free to do it here.  All donations are tax deductible and go directly to our feeding/dehydration programs in the third world.  Thank you.  Without partners like you, there is no giving to the poor. You are the ones who make it all happen with infused donations of volunteer time, equipment and cash equivalent donations.

Here are a few pictures of our dehydration center. The man and his daughter are the best installers in Panama, and have graciously and professionally installed this unit for us.  Building and much of the food quality level construction has been donated by supporters who see the future. Thanks to all who have given into the future of preserving foods for the poor and needy!

             

Look at these great peppers which have a small flaw in them.  Before dehydration we had to throw them away because they are unsellable.  This is par of the 40% global waste that all farms must deal with. But we can now cut out the bad piece and save the rest of the vegetable through dehydration!  No more waste!!

    

People ask how much it costs to run a load of vegetables through the dehydration facility.  Gasoline, generator, packaging materials and donated labor costs approximately $59 per load. We can get between 75 - 150 pounds of product through the dehydrator quickly, usually within 8-10 hours.  if we have more product, it takes longer to run the machine.  We also must purchase the various foods to dehydrate, but we have wholesale accounts set up and we try to purchase foods when they are in over abundant supply with decreased costs.  Typically $59 will run a full load of product through the dehydration center and provide up to 150 pounds of freshly dehydrated super food.  

We also grow super foods and are able to dehydrate them at a reduced cost.  Our current super foods include spinach, kale, swiss chard, collard greens, okra and various peppers.  They all dehydrate well.  

Come visit. Better yet, put on some gloves and come volunteer!

Here are a few updated photos of volunteer teams that have come recently. They had a great time and accomplished so much in such a short time!