Imperfect Produce Expands In Austin

AUSTIN, TEXAS — Imperfect Produce, the produce subscription service that sources “ugly” fruits and vegetables from farms and delivers them directly to consumers’ doors, is expanding to Austin next month, company officials said Monday.

The local expansion will launch on Oct. 8, officials said in a press advisory. To commemorate the launch and Imperfect Produce’s impact on food waste and hunger, the City of Austin will proclaim Oct. 8 as “Imperfect Produce Day.”

Residents can use code ATX5 to receive $5 off their first weekly or bi-weekly shipment (normally $12-18) when setting up a customized box of organic or conventional fruits and vegetables, along with other perishable food products that might normally go to waste, officials said. Austin delivery will start in central neighborhoods and expand to other areas during the rollout. Delivery areas and routes will be released and available on the Imperfect Produce sign-up page, officials added.

FEEL-GOOD ICE CREAM

Kicking off the Austin launch, Imperfect Produce has partnered with Lick Honest Ice Creams to create a limited edition Spiced Sweet Potato Pie ice cream flavor available at all Austin locations starting October 4 until November 23. This new fall flavor features imperfect sweet potatoes, house made vanilla marshmallows, and chunk of molasses cookie made from scratch in Lick's Northwest Austin kitchen.

HOW IMPERFECT WORKS

Twenty percent of all fruits and vegetables grown in the U.S. don’t adhere to the strict cosmetic standards of grocery stores, creating billions of pounds of wasted produce every year. Imperfect Produce buys the “ugly” produce directly from farms and ships to customers’ doors at a cost that is 30 to 50 percent less than grocery store prices.

NARROWING THE GAP ON WASTE

Through a mutual interest in food recovery, CEO Ben Simon and co-founder Ben Chesler founded Imperfect Produce to help make an impact on food waste by addressing the billions of pounds of produce that never made it off farms. Imperfect Produce helps to narrow this gap by delivering ugly and surplus produce that might otherwise go to waste. They have successfully recovered 30 million pounds since the company’s start. Now delivering in eight cities across the country, with more Texas cities on the horizon, Imperfect Produce aims to one day deliver ugly produce all over the country and be a force for good in the food industry by both reducing food waste and making healthy food more accessible for everyone.

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>>> Image courtesy of Imperfect Produce