Startup That 'Rescues' Wasted Produce, Fights Hunger, Coming To Phoenixville

PHOENIXVILLE, PA — One out of every five fruits and vegetables goes to waste in the United States due to aesthetic imperfections and logistical issues.

That's according to the folks over at Hungry Harvest, an organization founded in a University of Maryland dorm room in 2014 and that is coming to Montgomery and Chester counties in August. They have a unique mission: "rescue" produce that is otherwise wasted, and deliver it at an affordable price.

The startup, which was featured on Shark Tank, focuses on "food deserts," areas which are not served by an accessible supermarket or market with fresh or nutritious foods. However, they will be delivering to towns across Central Montgomery County come August, including Lansdale and King of Prussia, and Chester County locations including Phoenixville.

The main reason that produce is wasted, according to the company, is that supermarkets and restaurants over-order produce, and do not use it all. Many pieces of produce are also discarded when they are oddly shaped or do not appear normal.

The company delivers boxes of various sizes at corresponding costs, starting at $15 per box. For every box purchased in Montgomery County, the company says they will donate one to two pounds of produce to Philabundance, a regional food bank.

To learn more and order, see here. New customers can use the code LAUNCH to save $5 on purchases of $20 or more, the company says.

In addition to Montgomery County, Hungry Harvest is also serving Maryland, DC, Northern Virginia, South Florida, South Jersey, and Philadelphia.

Image via Hungry Harvest