The statistics on food waste in the United States are staggering. A whopping 40% of our food that is produced in this country is tossed in the trash, and most of that food is completely edible.
Between standards and/or errors in production, harvest, processing, transport, and consumption, countless pounds of food are unfortunately failing to make it to our kitchen tables. This preventable problem has only been getting worse in recent years, despite millions of Americans struggling to put enough food on the table.
That’s why Hungry Harvest stepped in. The company, founded in 2014, is taking fresh, “rescued” produce and delivering it to your doorstep, in efforts to reduce food waste and end hunger.
They address the largely preventable issue of food waste, food insecurity, and nationwide hunger, and what their company is doing to help solve those problems.
What Exactly is Rescued Produce?
“Rescued produce” is a term referring to all of the tasty, unique fruits and vegetables that just don’t make the cut that season.
The rejection of these perfectly delicious crops could be due to inadequate size (too small or too big), appearing too misshapen or ugly, overproduction of that crop, or too many spots or “beauty marks.”
That adorable, misshapen green pepper that resembles a “witches nose” is still going to make a delicious addition to a stir fry, fresh cucumber salad, vegetable frittata, or dipped into creamy, ranch dressing.
By using rescued produce from all three parts of the supply chain—farms, packing houses, and wholesalers—Hungry Harvest is helping to save countless pounds of fruits and veggies from being carelessly wasted.
Pretty cool, right?
Their Story
Evan Lutz, CEO and Co-Founder of Hungry Harvest and recent graduate of the University of Maryland, helped create the company in May 2014 in the basement of his college dorm.
Yes, you read that right.
Evan and his team spent the next year scrambling with managing food orders, offering dozens of free trials, working 18+ hour days, and consistently being mocked and rejected. All of that changed in June 2015, when Evan and his dream of making Hungry Harvest a reality, came true.
Hungry Harvest appeared on the television show “Shark Tank” on June 17, 2015. One of the show’s entrepreneurs, Robert Herjavec, made an irresistible deal with Evan and his team. After appearing on the show, Evan documented the impact that the experience had on the new company, citing skyrocketing sales, website traffic, social media engagements, press appearances, and requests for deliveries nationwide.
Today, Hungry Harvest now employs over 40 employees across 9 states, sparing over 9 million pounds of fresh produce from being tossed in the trash, and providing over 800,000 pounds of produce to community markets and donations nationwide.
And they are just getting started.
Their Mission
Their mission is simple: eliminate food waste and end hunger. The company partners with local farms to rescue imperfect produce that can have a home in your kitchen. By packing the fresh fruits and vegetables into weekly, variety boxes, the food waste is significantly reduced, benefiting both the consumer and Hungry Harvest’s goals.
Not only does Hungry Harvest donate to hunger-solving organizations across the country, the company also leads “Produce in a SNAP“, a program that supplies local community markets with affordable fruits and veggies. Many children and their families are able to bring home certain fruits or vegetables for the first time, indicating the importance of bridging the widening gap of food access between communities.
How It Works
Hungry Harvests offers a variety of customizable produce boxes, filled with foods such as freshly picked apples, berries, beans, squash, potatoes, or greens that didn’t make the cut. Ordering on their user-friendly website is a breeze, with options from as low as $15 a box.
Once your order is placed, the Hungry Harvest team collects the selected produce, carefully packs them into your customized box, and delivers it right to your door. Easy, peasy.
Now that you know a little about the admirable, sustainable goals that Hungry Harvest is working towards, why not order a box of fresh produce for yourself?
You can sleep soundly at night knowing the food you order from Hungry Harvest once had a one-way ticket to the dumpster, but can now be used in your favorite recipes or as an afternoon snack. #zerowastekitchen