I take what I can get.

I think we've been in Eugene about a month and a half now. It's a nice place, with a lot of perks. One of which is the strong farmer's market culture. One downside, however, is that the market prices are much steeper than we are used to! Our limited budget doesn't allow us the luxury of market patronage very frequently.

So, for the first few weeks in our apartment, I was thrilled to collect free cherry tomatoes from the raised garden beds behind our building. (Many were falling off to rot on the ground so I was sure no one else was using them.) However, one morning the plants had suddenly all been yanked out and left in a pile for the garbage man! These were fruit-laden plants and we are nowhere near a frost. Don't they realize a pint of cherry tomatoes at market is $4.00!? The humanity! So, I promptly collected all the fruit off the uprooted plants and washed them off. I've been letting them ripen in these boxes. 

 Little by little they get red, and we use them.

One day I was walking down the street and saw raspberry bushes growing out of other overgrown greenery by someone's fence. Again, they were clearly not being picked because there were tons of overripe and rotting berries everywhere. So, abiding by the principle of usufruct, I picked what was still good. The Willamette Valley where we live is so fertile, you just have to keep your eyes open and there is untended fecundity everywhere! These little endeavors make me feel like I can "bring home the bacon" it little bitty ways, even though I don't earn money.