The Farmlink Project

'Abundance: The Farmlink Story' is live. When we started this project three years ago, we were just a bunch of college kids, looking to do something—anything—to help out our neighbors facing food insecurity. Today, we are a national nonprofit that has delivered over 130 million pounds of food to people across the entire country. We're on a mission to end hunger within our lifetimes. Our film explains how. We are thrilled to share 'Abundance: The Farmlink Story' with you today and invite you to join us in sharing this film and vision for a hunger-free future with your community.

At The Farmlink Project, we’ve spent the past several months preparing for apple harvests in West Virginia, where there is a surplus of millions of pounds of apples. Led by the West Virginia Department of Agriculture, we’ve been able to start redirecting this surplus to hunger-fighting organizations across the country. In the wake of Hurricane Helene in North and South Carolina, Farmlink and the West Virginia Department of Agriculture are sending the abundance of West Virginia apples to affected communities, including Bryson City, NC, Greenwood, SC, and the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation in Cherokee, NC. Our efforts not only support farmers and prevent food waste, but also enable us to respond quickly to natural disasters like Hurricane Helene. Hurricane Helene is just one storm in an increasingly intense hurricane season affecting the American South and Southeast. It's important to understand that the rising frequency and severity of these storms are partially driven by human-caused climate change. Farmlink is uniquely positioned to respond to storms like Hurricane Helene. However, we also recognize the critical role of reducing food waste and the associated methane emissions in slowing climate change and help prevent longer, more intense storm seasons. Food waste is a key driver of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that warms the atmosphere over 80 times faster than carbon dioxide. We don’t want to simply react to natural disasters — we aim to be part of a system-wide solution that creates a climate-stable and food-secure world.

Our very own Ben Collier was on USAID’s Kitchen Sink podcast discussing the power of large-scale produce rescues in addressing on-farm food loss and ending hunger. A huge thank you to Nika Larian, PhD for inviting us to contribute, and if you’re interested in learning more, check out the companion blog post on the USAID Agrilinks website! Podcast: https://lnkd.in/dagrM8q8 Blog Post: https://lnkd.in/dxydPXuC

Starting on October 9th, our story is going to be shared nationwide! Abundance will be airing on PBS. We could not be more excited to reach a national audience. We'll keep you updated on how this opportunity helps grow our community and translated to more impact. Don't forget, you can watch Abundance: The Farmlink Story anytime on our YouTube channel. https://lnkd.in/gvjvbAjA

"Over the past few months, I’ve had the honor of traveling across the country and seeing firsthand the passion and dedication each FIELD fellow brings to regenerating the earth, rescuing food, and supporting communities. To the fellows, your impact extends beyond what you accomplished this summer—you’re building a sustainable future, one meal and one project at a time. Huge thanks to our partner Planet Home Lending, LLC for making this journey possible! Together, we’re creating real change." -Stella FIELD Fellows: Nolan Cunningham Aidan O’Connor Allison Lorentz Alaina Shields Dylan Yap Divya Saikumar Elie Ntakirutimana JennaMarie Gordon Kailey Wilkens Katie Kelly Maggie Swanson

At Food Tank’s Climate Week panel on access and affordability last week, we discussed how optimism drives action. At Farmlink, we know that food recovery is a key lever for immediate climate impact and building a more equitable, climate-secure food system. By rescuing surplus food, we prevent emissions before they can build up and contribute to climate change—all while providing fresh food to communities in need. Every day, we act with urgency because keeping food out of waste streams makes an immediate difference. We see these effects right now with Hurricane Helene, which is impacting so many already food-insecure individuals and those displaced by the storm’s destruction. We’re actively working to bring fresh food to these affected areas. Change starts with a simple belief: We can do this, so let’s get after it. We can end food insecurity and create a more resilient and vibrant food system in our lifetimes. -Julia DeSantis Director of Sustainability

Our very own Ben Collier was on USAID’s Kitchen Sink podcast discussing the power of large-scale produce rescues in addressing on-farm food loss and ending hunger. A huge thank you to Nika Larian, PhD for inviting us to contribute, and if you’re interested in learning more, check out the companion blog post on the USAID Agrilinks website! Podcast: https://lnkd.in/dagrM8q8 Blog Post: https://lnkd.in/dxydPXuC

Join us as a virtual volunteer this October 🍂💻 We're excited to expand The Farmlink Project's charity network across the U.S., and we need your help! As a volunteer, you'll be instrumental in connecting us with hunger fighting charities by researching and recording important contact information. Sign-Up Dates: Thursday, October 3 ➡1pm EST: https://lnkd.in/gFrZUKzZ ➡3pm EST: https://lnkd.in/g2g7xZJz Tuesday, October 15 ➡1pm EST: https://lnkd.in/gg7uJEBC ➡3pm EST: https://lnkd.in/g-vJEcEG Whether you're looking to make a difference from the comfort of your home or simply want to support a great cause, we hope you'll join us.

Here we *GROW* again! The Farmlink Project is seeking an experienced Senior Accountant to join our team! The ideal candidate has extensive experience in financial management within the nonprofit sector and a strong commitment to the mission of the organization. 🍏Fully Remote Position - hiring anywhere in the US 🍏Minimum of 4 years of accounting or financial management experience 🍏At least 2 years accounting experience in a nonprofit environment 🍏Salary Range is $70,000-$85,000 #hiring #nonprofit #accounting #farmlinkproject

The latest updates on food security are in - USDA Economic Research Service released its annual Household Food Security in the United States and, with it, revealed worrying trends about food insecurity and the effects of inflation. Some key stats: → 13.5% of American households, up from 12.8% in 2022, were food insecure at some point in 2023 (note the increase in the right half of the graph below). This represents nearly 50 million people that, at some point, did not know where their next meal was coming from. → Children were particularly affected. 17.9% of households with children were food insecure in 2023. → Black and Hispanic households were nearly twice as likely to experience food insecurity, with rates of 23.3% and 21.9%, respectively. The recent Census Bureau report echoes these inequities, as Latinx and Black people experienced poverty at rates of 20.5% and 18.5%, respectively, compared to the national average of 12.9% At Farmlink, we believe that the abundance of food grown in this nation should go to people’s tables, not to landfills. As we scale our farm-to-community model, it is critical we understand that hunger is not experienced equitably. Farmlink is the only food rescue organization capable of working with all hunger-fighting organizations in all networks, and it is our responsibility to use this ability to reduce overall food insecurity and achieve equitable access to fresh, nutritious food for all communities. We invite you to join us this Hunger Action Month and year-round to redirect surplus produce to our hunger-fighting partners in food-insecure communities across the country.