20% of delicious produce goes to waste for the most ridiculous reasons - too big, too small, too ugly... you name it, we've seen it. We find this produce that's destined to go uneaten & we give it a home (with you, we hope).
Produce goes to waste for a number of silly reasons. Here are some of the top reasons we rescue produce:
Sorting in the Field
Fruits & veggies that don't meet a specific spec for size, color, weight or surface blemishes get sorted out & left in the field.
Surplus / Overproduction
Strong seasons with higher-than-expected yields lead to surplus produce that doesn't have a home in the retail market.
Sort Outs
Many growers harvest their entire crop & have it sorted at a packing facility. Fruits & veggies that don't meet a very specific spec get sorted out & are destined for waste.
Over-purchasing
Wholesalers periodically find themselves with excess inventory that needs to move. Without a buyer, this produce will go to waste.
Sorting at the Wholesaler
Produce that arrives at the wholesaler but doesn't meet their retail customer spec will often go to waste if another buyer cannot be found
Curious why our rescued produce needed rescuing this year?
It's not because it lacked deliciousness. Sometimes it was just a little too big, a little too ugly or a little too colorful for grocery to stock. When you put that alongside the surplus created when our partner farmers had a better-than-expected growing season, you end up with an awful lot of produce that's destined to go uneaten.
