‘Ugly produce’ company Hungry Harvest has recovered 4M pounds of food so far

“Around the Corner” is a PhillyCAM show that offers local social impact leaders the opportunity to share what impact their work is having on the Philadelphia area.

Americans toss half of all the produce our farmers grow. Let that sink in for a second.

Enter Hungry Harvest, a rescued produce delivery company based in Baltimore that rose to national fame after appearing on Shark Tank (and raising $100,000) in January 2016.

The model is simple enough: Take food purveyors’ bruised apples and weirdly shaped tomatoes, aka “ugly produce,” and sell those at a slight discount via subscription boxes. For every box sold, donate a meal or a few pounds of food to someone in need.

Early last year, the social enterprise launched its second branch in Philly, where food bank Philabundance serves as its charitable beneficiary. It’s now expanding to Miami.

Want some “blow-your-socks-off numbers,” as Philadelphia City Manager Cynthia Plotch says? Hungry Harvest has so far recovered four million pounds of produce and has donated or subsidized over 500,000 pounds.

Learn more about the company is Plotch’s “Around the Corner” interview — and use the code PICKYOUROWN to get $5 off your first box.

PhillyCAM is Comcast channel 66/966 HD/967 and Verizon FIOS channel 29/30 in Philadelphia.