The Farmlink Project
editThe Farmlink Project is a United States-based nonprofit organization founded in 2020. The organization coordinates transportation between local and national farms experiencing a surplus yield and food insecure communities while paying the wages of farmers and truck drivers.
History
editAs the Covid-19 Pandemic shut down existing food supply chains, farms across the country were faced with a sudden surplus of produce. While unemployment rates rose, lines at food banks grew longer.[1] Recognizing the need for produce transportation, co-founders James Kanoff and Aidan Reilly cold called local farms in Los Angeles, California to locate surplus food to deliver to their local food bank. On April 14, 2020, they completed the first Farmlink delivery by moving eggs to one of the 200 food banks in the Feeding America network.
In the following two weeks, Will Collier, Ben Collier, Stella Delp, Chad Kanoff, AJ Weaver, Max Goldman, and Jordan Hartzell all joined the team to help navigate transportation for food surplus to food banks across the country.
In May 2020 The Farmlink Project was first featured in The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/02/business/coronavirus-food-waste-destroyed.html. Days later they begin a collaboration with Uber Freight https://www.hopkins.edu/news-detail?pk=1381810&fromId=221630 . Shortly after, The Farmlink Project reached the East Coast, when they made their first delivery to a food bank in Richmond, Virginia.
By May 29, 2020, one million pounds of produce had been delivered to states across the United States.
By June 2020, the co-founders had grown their network to over 100 team members to facilitate transportation, food sourcing, fundraising, and media outreach for the organization. https://abc7.com/farms-food-banks-hungry-waste/6241657/
On August 7, 2020, The Farmlink Project partnered with Angel Flight West to fly fresh produce boxes to Tehama and Lake County, in California.
From November 2020 to January 2021 The Farmlink Project partnered with Chipotle Mexican Grill.[7]
November 19, 2020 - November 23, 2020: The Farmlink Project delivered over one million Thanksgiving meals.
On December 25, 2020, The Farmlink Project had its first feature on Good Morning America.
Past Organization Partnerships: Farms: Alsum Farms & Produce Inc. Apple King Borden Dairy Desert Ridge Produce Fresh Kist Farms MIMCO-Balford Farms Mountain Valley Owyhee Produce Pacific Produce Peri & Sons Farm Strebin Farms Tat-On, Inc. Taylor Farms Food Distribution Centers: Children's Hunger Fund Connecticut Food Bank Food Forward Food Rescue — US FoodFinders Frederick Rescue Mission Heart of Compassion Inspired Vision Compassion Center Navajo Nation (specifically The Navajo Nation Christian Response Team) Siskiyou Community Food Bank United Hands Watt’s Empowerment Center White Mountain Apache Tribe
- ^ Kulish, Nicholas (2020-04-08). "'Never Seen Anything Like It': Cars Line Up for Miles at Food Banks". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-02-16.