Progress report for FLW24-014
Project Information
Concrete Jungle has been connecting the dots between delicious Georgia-grown produce that would otherwise go to waste and families facing food and nutrition insecurity for 15 years. We have mapped 3,200 urban fruit trees and worked with over 50 Georgia farms to provide 2.1 million pounds or 8.5 million servings to 70 food pantries and hunger relief partners serving over 300,000 food-insecure individuals across the state. We were able to make a big impact during the pandemic when we leveraged these relationships to create a new market for farmers’ seconds called Produce Buyers Club (PBC) Through PBC, we work with farmers to purchase their imperfect or excess produce. By coupling PBC with our distribution and outreach efforts to food pantries, collectively known as the Produce Education and Enjoyment Loop (PEEL) program, we have created an innovative solution to the dual problems of food waste and food insecurity that 1) diverts farm food waste, 2) delivers new revenue to farmers, 3) and provides fresh produce to people living in low-income, low access (LILA) areas of Atlanta at the lowest possible price. For the first few years, we were able to meet the demand for these programs with our small staff.
As this new market for upcycling food waste has increasingly proved viable, demand has increased from partners on all sides. We receive calls daily from farmers asking CJ to purchase their imperfect or excess produce. We have food pantry partners calling us weekly, demanding 4-6 varieties of produce to share with their clients. We know that there is a significant supply and demand we are not able to meet at our current capacity. To meet this capacity we need to 1) invest in personnel to support our Farm Recovery Manager including coordinator positions to focus specifically on outreach and marketing/communications; 2) invest in better trucking options to streamline PBC pickups and PEEL deliveries; 3) create strong collateral to reach and support PBC and PEEL partners on both ends of the pipeline. As we expand and improve both programs with these investments, we will document best practices for each step in the collection and distribution pipeline and produce fact sheets, guides and easy-to-digest training materials to share with other organizations working on solutions to food loss and waste.
With help from SARE, Concrete Jungle can deepen established partnerships and build new partnerships in areas that are hot spots for food loss, food waste, and food insecurity. We can greatly improve marketing, training, outreach and education efforts that benefit farmers, partners, and consumers. This will be done by investing in personnel, equipment, materials and professional development opportunities that will bolster current operations and increase efficiencies to establish best practices that can then be shared with similar organizations through presentations at conferences, digital training manuals and collaborative workshops. By the end of the three year grant period, we will have a strong and replicable model for upcycling food waste through proven methods that have a significant societal, environmental, and economic impact.
Concrete Jungle’s Produce Buyers Club program is a proven, effective method for engaging farmers with edible food waste and ensuring that food makes it to the plates of families who need it. With the support of SARE’s Food Loss and Waste Technical and Training Assistance grant, Concrete Jungle will continue to close the gap between food waste on farms and food-insecure families. We will do this by increasing farmers’ capacity to sell their food waste and building the consumer market for this produce at partner agencies. Simultaneously, Concrete Jungle will grow its capacity to procure and distribute more produce, establishing protocols along the way to create a replicable model that can be shared with similar organizations around the country. Our objectives through the SARE grant are:
- Address food-insecurity by diverting 700,000 pounds of
on-farm food waste to food insecure families annually by
2027.
CJ has created a viable market to keep perfectly nutritious but “imperfect” (blemished or flawed fruits and vegetables that do not meet strict grocery standards) produce wasted on Georgia farms in the food supply chain, but we cannot currently meet the demand for the Produce Buyer’s Club. With the help of SARE, Concrete Jungle will build out Produce Buyers Club’s infrastructure to create long-term growth for the program. Infrastructure build out will involve hiring a program coordinator, increasing the hours of our warehouse manager, renting a refrigerated truck and building out our online inventory management and ordering platform - Strengthen Georgia farmers’ resiliency by expanding their capacity to sell their unmarketable produce.
Many Georgia farmers do not know that Produce Buyers Club exists and is a viable secondary market for their imperfect or excess produce that doesn’t make it to retail outlets. With the support of SARE, we will create marketing materials to increase awareness of Produce Buyers Club, and we will train 5-10 farmers each year on the types, quality and quantity of produce (the supply) we need for PBC as well as how to safely store and manage the excess produce until we are able to pick it up. - Expand the market for Concrete Jungle’s PBC produce through enhanced marketing and training of hunger relief organizations that serve individuals experiencing food and nutrition-insecurity.
Several of our partners requested support to distribute Concrete Jungle produce because it is often unfamiliar to clients or does not look like produce that they typically see in stores. Concrete Jungle created PEEL to provide educational materials and activities to lower barriers to clients using and enjoying our upcycled produce. With SARE funding, Concrete Jungle will create educational and marketing materials on our produce as well as a training program for partners to encourage the 300,000 food insecure individuals served by our partners to incorporate CJ produce into their diets. - Increase fruit and vegetable consumption among nutrition-insecure individuals through PEEL education activities at community partner organizations.
One of the most important lessons CJ learned from our partners early on is that making produce available does not guarantee that families who need it most will end up with it on their plates. In order for our produce to have a “food as medicine” effect, we have to support our partners and those they serve by familiarizing them with our produce and funding activities to encourage their consumption. Through PEEL, CJ currently provides recipe cards with 80% of the produce distributed and holds cooking demonstrations to encourage families to try more fresh fruits and vegetables. We know that PEEL activities amplify the success of the Produce Buyer's Club by helping families integrate fresh produce into their meals and reap the benefits of consuming more nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables. In 2023 PEEL engaged 588 clients through events and distributed 2,422 recipe cards, but there is potential for PEEL to have a much greater impact by holding more consistent education activities and developing a wider variety of printed and digital materials. Additionally, with SARE’s help, we can gather better data on the perceived health impacts (feeling better, having more energy, etc.) consuming more produce is having for those who attend PEEL events, make use of our recipe cards and frequently enjoy CJ’s produce.
5. PBC will be a replicable model that can be used by other similar organizations, ultimately helping the USDA, EPA and FDA achieve their goal of reducing food loss by 50% in 2030
. As we invest in building capacity internally and externally as well as creating a larger market for PBC produce, we will generate and document best practices, protocols, curriculum, and marketing materials that can be shared with similar gleaning organizations and/or hunger relief agencies to create their own PBC or PEEL. We will provide printed and digital materials as well as in-person and digital instruction to support interested organizations and attend conferences and other educational events to share presentations on our work diverting food waste on farms and upcycling it to food-insecure individuals.
See attached letters of support from some of our partnersSouthern
Valley LOS
Georgia Dept of Ag LOS
NETworks Support Letter Association
of Gleaning Organizations LOS
Home Church Roswell
Cooperators
Research
Approach
Since 2021, Concrete Jungle has operated the “Produce Buyers Club,” an innovative purchasing initiative that connects farmers with surplus or imperfect produce to food pantries and hunger relief agencies. This initiative reduces food loss and waste by diverting excess farm produce to those in need. We prioritize partnerships with larger farms that consistently generate surplus. Our Farm Recovery Manager, Savannah Carter, actively engages with farmers to understand their needs and how we can help them divert their excess produce to Concrete Jungle. As farmers become more familiar with our process, we find that they frequently call us when they have excess produce they need to move.
Methods
Each week, Savannah coordinates with farmers in our network to place produce orders. Logistics are managed through partnerships with trucking companies to transport the produce to our Atlanta warehouse, strategically located near the majority of our hunger relief partners. Once produce is in transit, Savannah distributes an availability list to our 15 member agencies as well as special order customers, who use an online order form to select varieties and volumes that best meet their clients' needs. Upon arrival in Atlanta, our warehouse manager and support staff organize produce orders and deliver to agencies. to agency partners. This process occurs weekly from April to December, ensuring a steady supply of fresh produce.
In response to a significant increase in demand in 2024—with most of our partners experiencing a 10-50% rise in clientele—we have expanded our farmer outreach efforts. Support from the SARE grant has enabled us to broaden our farmer network through targeted advertising, conference participation, marketing materials, and the development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and onboarding materials for new farmer partners. Additionally, we are deepening engagement with hunger relief agencies by developing educational curriculum and training materials to help agencies familiarize their clients with our produce offerings.
Data Collection & Measurement Strategies
To assess the impact of our efforts, we employ a combination of quantitative and qualitative data collection methods:
- Quantitative Data: Collected through demographic surveys, sales order information, and feedback forms. This includes tracking the number of farmers and hunger relief agencies engaged, monitoring the volume of produce redistributed, and maintaining a waitlist of agencies seeking access to our produce.
-
-
- Engaged 7 farmers, 3 of which are new
- Engaged 24 hunger relief agencies, 5 of which are new
- Established a 10-agency waitlist for those hoping to receive produce
- Redistributed 643,952.8 pounds of produce
-
- Qualitative Data: Gathered through direct interactions such as our Produce Pantry Party events and informal conversations with stakeholders. These insights help shape program improvements and ensure our efforts align with community needs.
Rationale Behind Data Collection Methods
Our mixed-methods approach provides a comprehensive understanding of our impact. Quantitative data offers measurable benchmarks for program growth, while qualitative insights capture the nuanced experiences of farmers, agencies, and food-insecure families. By refining our data collection strategies, we continuously enhance our capacity to reduce food loss and waste while improving food security in our communities.
- Farm
- Distribution
- School/institution
- Home
- Prevent Wasted Food
Our project aligns closely with the EPA’s Food Recovery Hierarchy, which prioritizes reducing food waste through human consumption before considering alternatives such as animal feed or composting. Many of our farm partners struggle with strict aesthetic standards that make certain fruits and vegetables unsellable in traditional retail markets, resulting in surplus produce that might otherwise be wasted. While some farmers can repurpose excess produce for animal feed or composting, these methods rank lower on the hierarchy than direct human consumption.
To maximize food recovery, our project purchases imperfect or surplus produce from Georgia farmers and redirects it to individuals experiencing food insecurity. By incorporating this upcycled produce into our food distribution programs, we ensure that nutritious, locally grown food reaches those in need rather than being discarded. During this grant cycle, we provided food to over 71,000 individuals, effectively bridging the gap between surplus agricultural products and communities facing hunger.
Since the start of our partnership with SARE, Concrete Jungle has reduced on-farm food loss by 643,952.8 pounds, equivalent to 2.57 million servings.
Based on our proposed evaluation plan, we have begun to collect data points on some of our evaluation criteria. We will use the first 6 months of our SARE grant to establish our baseline.
| Criteria or Indicator | Data Source | Results from 10.1.25-3.31.25 | Interpretation | |
|
How much produce is PBC recovering from farms?
|
Pounds of diverted produce | order forms, availability lists | 643,952.80 | This number was significantly higher this winter becuase of two new partnerships that allowed us to procure and distribute more produce. We started working with Cooseman's Worldwide, a produce distributor at the state farmers market that frequently has excess produce. Through Coosemans, we recovered 200,407 pounds of produce. Additionally, we started distributing tractor-trailer loads to the Atlanta Community Food Bank. We distributed 185,335 lbs of produce to ACFB from 10.1.24-4.1.25. |
| Varieties of produce diverted | order forms, availability lists | 21 | Cabbage, Cucumbers, Muscadines, Corn, Sweet Potatoes, Idaho Potatoes, Tomatoes, Onions, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Broccoli, Collard Greens, Mustards, Turnips, Cucumbers, Carrots, Bell Peppers, Satuma's, Lettuce, Apples, Pears, | |
| Amounts of produce diverted weekly | order forms, availability lists | 22,998.31 | 22,998.31 is the weekly average from October to now | |
| Is PBC income meaningful to farmers? | Revenue generated from PBC | $104,385.85 | Some of this income is from membership fees and some is from partnerships with the city or other partner who pay for a more customized approach for special events. Most all of this income is in accounts receivable. | |
|
Have we grown the market for CJ produce?
|
Number of new hunger relief partners | Number of partners onboarded, order forms | 5 | In addition to these new partners, we currently have a waiting list of 10 partners. Because of rising prices at the grocery store and changes in the social support system, we are finding the demand is increasing at all of our partner agencies by 10-50%. |
| Size of orders from partners | Order forms | 300lbs-5,000lbs | Several of our orders in the past few months were full tractor trailer loads, so it is hard to accurately represent an order size. While the sizes of orders has increased, the number and volume of orders are signficantly limited by our staffing and storage constraints. We are moving into a new location in April and hope that will allow us to move more produce |
|
| How many individuals have increased access to produce through PBC | Number of individuals served by hunger relief partners | Partner surveys | 71277 | While we added 5 new partners, we had less frequent deliveries of larger volumes. |
|
How has PEEL improved clients' experience with produce
|
Try a new variety or cooking method | PEEL 3 question client survey | 826 | We surveyed 1,302 clients, this number represents 64% of clients were trying a new cooking method or variety of produce |
| Enjoyed variety or cooking method | PEEL 3 question client survey | 1503 | We surveyed 1,554 clients. This number represents 97% of clients liked the variety of produce or cooking method |
All of our produce was distributed to soup kitchens, food pantries, and other distributions for food-insecure families. We reached 71,277 individuals by distributing to the below agencies:
Feeding Georgia Families
Snack in a Backpack
COR at Carver High School
Greater Works Ministry
The Center Helping Obesity In Children End Successfully (CHOICES)
Food4Life
Fountain of Hope
Home Church Roswell
Intown Cares
MUST Ministries
NETworks
Prevention Plus
SAND Preschool
Sweetwater Mission
Urban Recipe
The New Emmanuel Community Foundation
West Atlanta Watershed Alliance
Atlanta Braves Home Run Project
Atlanta Community Food Bank
Community Assistance Center
North Fulton Community Charities
Parkside Elementary
Toomer Elementary
Benteen Elementary
YMCA McCleskey
- Produce
100% of the wasted food we recovered was produce
Farmers
Since starting this project in October 2024, we have established relationships with 3 new farmers. Some of these are very new relationships, as we met them at Southeastern Fruit and Vegetable Conference in January 2025 or the SOWTH organic agriculture conference in February 2025. Attending regional conferences provided us with the opportunity to expand our footprint in the southeast and find new varieties of produce to offer. We are excited about blossoming relationships with a peach farmer in South Carolina as well as a blackberry and blueberry farmer in Georgia. As outlined in our SARE application, we plan to continue our outreach through advertisements in local industry publications as well as introductions from existing farm partners.
Hunger Relief Agencies
The end of 2024 saw a growing number of hunger relief agencies reaching out to Concrete Jungle in search of fresh produce. We were able to onboard 5 new agencies and have a waiting list of 10 additional agencies. Our largest new partner is the Atlanta Community Food Bank, who can take excess or imperfect produce by the tractor trailer load. This partnership allows our produce to reach more pantries as well as supports farmers who have larger amounts of excess than we would be able to move otherwise. We have moved 185,335 pounds of produce through the ACFB in the past 6 months. In addition, we have increased our ability to serve our hunger relief agencies through our partnership with produce distributors, as described below.
Distributors
In an effort to provide more produce to our partners, we have deepened our partnership with a produce distributor at the State Farmers Market run by the Georgia Department of Agriculture. This partner calls us when they have an oversupply of some produce. To streamline the process, we connect our hunger relief agencies with the distributor to pick up directly, eliminating the need for our staff to pick up, store, and distribute. Through this partnership, we distributed 200,407 lbs of mainly tomatoes, lettuce, and cucumbers in the past 6 months.
Additionally, we have established a relationship with Farmlink, a national food recovery nonprofit that works largely with distributors. Farmlink calls Concrete Jungle when they have produce anywhere in the state and we coordinate with hunger relief agencies to receive the produce. So far, we have moved 2,030 pounds of lettuce, but we anticipate more opportunities in the future.
Funders
We have found that funders, in addition to providing critical financial resources, can also connect the dots with hunger relief agencies doing similar work. At the end of last year, we received a grant from the Georgia Health Foundation to pilot distributing produce in south Georgia. In that cohort of grantees, we were connected to the Latino Community Foundation, who also received support to do work in south Georgia. Similarly, through several convenings organized by the United Way, we have made connections with new hunger relief agencies looking for fresh produce like Feeding Georgia Families and Frontline Housing.
| Activity | Who's involved | Duration | Complete | Notes |
| Identify existing part time staff person to take on communications coordinator role or hire outside part-time person | Farm Recovery Manager, Director of Programs, CJ Operations team | 9/1/24-11/1/24 | In progress | We were connected with an Americorps VISTA, Ashanti Nyame-Gyebi, in Athens whose original placement did not work out. She was placed with Concrete Jungle in Februrary. She has extensive writing and communications experience and will step in to take on some communications projects. We are unsure if she will be able to take on all projects associated with this grant or if we will need to hire additional support. |
| Increase hours for Warehouse Manager in order to manage higher volume of produce procured and distributed | Warehouse Manager, CJ Operations team | ongoing | In progress | We realized that the expectations of our warehouse manger were not in line with a typical warehouse manager: managing partner relationships, processing orders and working with agencies to make adjustments, receiving produce from several different sources, organizing the produce to fill orders, in addition to driving our truck. So, we split the responsibilities into 2 seperate roles: a full time inventory and logistics manager and an hourly driver. We are excited to be bringing on a current part-time employee to full-time as the inventory and logistics manager after her graduation in May 2025. |
| Evaluate existing farmers to determine impact of PBC on their operations and determine best practices for recruiting and onboarding new farmers | Farm Recovery Manager, Director of Programs, Executive Director | 11/1/24-2/1/25 | In progress | Our Farm Recovery Manager, Savannah Carter communicates with our farmers almost weekly and through those interactions is always collecting feedback about their experience. We are currently drafting a more formal evaluation to collect data from farmers on their experience. |
| Create marketing materials for hunger relief organizations to explain the benefits of Concrete Jungle produce (Georgia-grown, nutritious, reduce food waste)and include PEEL recipes | Graphic designer, Farm Recovery Manager, Communications Coordinator | 9/1/24-3/1/25 | In progress | Our PEEL team has created "vegication" cards to go along with our recipe cards that explain more about how to best use CJ produce. The cards are still being refined and will be edited by our client assistant who best understands how to communicate the importance of CJ produce to the community. |
| Create new farmer marketing plan. Identify publications to advertise in, collect names from other farmers, create marketing materials | Farm Recovery Manager, graphic designer, Communications Coordinator | 1/1/25-4/1/25 | In progress | We are currently in conversation with the Georgia Farm Bureau about advertising in their two publications. We also plan to advertise in the Georgia Electric Membership Corporation's Georgia magazine. |
| Hire Farm Recovery Coordinator | Farm Recovery Manager, Director of Programs, CJ Operations team | 1/1/25-3/1/25 | Moved to later date | Due to an unexpected need to move our operations, we are delaying this action until we are in our new warehouse and have stabilized operations in Atlanta. |
| Advertise PBC in publications | Farm Recovery Manager, Communications Coordinator | 2/1/25-4/1-25 | Moved to later date | |
| Onboard Farm Recovery Coordinator | Farm Recovery Manager, Director of Programs | 2/15/25-4/1/25 | Moved to later date | |
| Identify existing CJ staff part timer or hire externally for Community Relations Manager | Director of Programs, CJ Operations team | 3/1/25-5/1/25 | In progress | With the new Inventory and Logistics Manager role, they will manage client relations, but produce education is still a shared project between part-timers, board, volunteers.We are hoping to hire an hourly employee to fully manage the PEEL program |
| Host "Produce Pantry Party" with existing hunger relief partners to evaluate impact of 2024 PBC and PEEL and how to make improvements in 2025 | Entire team | 3/15/25 | Completed | We hosted 15 partner agencies for lunch, an info session, and a discussion on March 11. Agencies learned how to join Produce Buyers Club in 2025 and we discussed their needs, the uncertainty that many nonprofits are feeling right now, and how we can best support each other. The notes from this meeting can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CTHgTvHuTlvslNUvjOFoHYNN9roBcv1sd7zkHCvzd4I/edit?usp=sharing |
| Beginning of growing seasion in south Georgia--begin purchasing & distributing PBC produce | Entire team | 4/1/25-7/15/25 | In progress | While produce is starting to come in from South Georgia, we are only supporting our partners for special events right now. We will officially start providing weekly produce on April 21, after we have settled in our new space. |
| Create general PBC marketing plan for general public--social media, newsletter, partner organizations | Communications Coordinator | 4/1/25-6/1/25 | In progress | We have 2 Georgia State University Honors students helping with marketing for the semester as a part of their food justice and food waste class. Concrete Jungle was featured in the Honors College's course catalog as well as the class syllabus. |
Education
Concrete Jungle’s “Upcycling On-Farm Food Waste Through Produce Buyers Club Gleaning Initiative and Produce Education and Enjoyment Loop (PEEL) Outreach Program” employs a targeted educational approach to engage three key audiences: farmers, hunger relief agencies, and food-insecure families. Our initiatives provide audience-specific education and training to expand pathways to address food and nutrition insecurity as well as1qq building capacity for food loss and waste initiatives.
Farmers
Concrete Jungle has actively engaged farmers through direct outreach and participation in key agricultural conferences. At the Southeast Fruit and Vegetable Conference in January, our Farm Recovery Manager, Savannah Carter, and Director of Programs, Virginia Ruiz Lawley, hosted an expo booth featuring new promotional materials and educational flyers. This event introduced dozens of farmers to the benefits of partnering with Concrete Jungle and we plan to onboard 4-5 new farms. Additionally, several members of our team received scholarships to attend the SOWTH regional organic farming conference, where we connected with 15 farmers and anticipate onboarding two.
With these new connections, we will start to work on our farmer onboarding curriculum so that farmers can quickly and easily be trained to work with CJ. By expanding our farmer network, we are building capacity for food loss and waste initiatives.
Hunger Relief Agencies
Given the overwhelming interest from our hunger relief partners in implementing PEEL educational activities, we are developing a training program to equip agency staff and volunteers with the skills to set up engaging produce displays, conduct taste tests, and lead recipe demonstrations independently. By expanding our capacity through partner training, PEEL is creating new avenues to combat food and nutrition insecurity.
Food-Insecure Families
To extend our reach to food-insecure families, we are enhancing our printed educational materials. Our new "vegication" cards will provide essential information on why rescued produce may look different, the benefits of local produce, and best practices for storage and preparation. These resources ensure that families can integrate fresh produce into their diets more effectively. Through these efforts, Concrete Jungle is creating new pathways to address food and nutrition insecurity.
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation Summary:
Consultations
Our Farm Recovery Manager, Savannah Carter, speaks with farmers 4-5 times per week to assess their produce availability. If Concrete Jungle cannot take all of their surplus, she connects them with other potential outlets. These conversations often extend beyond produce sales, as Savannah frequently assists farmers by connecting them with additional agricultural resources or other farmers. In this way, she serves as both a farm consultant and a produce broker.
Curricula, fact sheets, etc
- PEEL Curricula: Since October 1, 2024, we have hosted 22 PEEL events, including 5 cooking classes and 17 taste tests. To support these events, we developed 10 distinct lesson plans and distributed 1,800 recipe cards to clients.
- Farmer Marketing Materials: For our expo booth at the Southeast Fruit and Vegetable Conference, we designed large display materials and an informational flyer explaining our commitment to purchasing farmers' excess produce. These materials attracted dozens of farmers, leading to potential purchasing relationships with five new farms.
- PEEL Training Program: We have drafted a planogram outlining the next steps for training hunger relief agency staff and volunteers to independently conduct PEEL demonstrations. This initiative will provide more families with the tools and knowledge needed to utilize Concrete Jungle’s produce confidently.
- Veg-ication Cards: We have created 30 “veg-ication” cards that explain how to determine ripeness, where the produce originates, how to store it, and how to prepare it. These cards are still being refined but they will serve as a valuable resource for clients to take home with their produce pickups.
Bell Pepper Veg-ication Card Templates 01252025 (4 x 6 in)
In person training
- We hosted 22 PEEL events: 5 cooking classes and 17 taste tests. These events engaged approximately 800 clients and empowered them to use Concrete Jungle produce at home. According to our PEEL 3 question surveys, 63% of clients were trying a new produce item or cooking method for the first time, 97% liked the produce or cooking method, and 86% would try it at home.
2. Produce Pantry Party: we gathered 15 partner agencies to kick off the harvest season and share our plans for the year. PPP was an excellent time to onboard partners as well as provide a space for partners to get to know each other and problem solve together. According to our survey and group discussion, most of our partners would like to receive more produce from Concrete Jungle and almost all had complaints about their other food sources. We are excited to build our capacity to meet more of this demand in 2025
Project Outcomes
Concrete Jungle’s initiatives have directly addressed food loss and waste by implementing innovative solutions that improve farm production efficiency, create new market pathways for surplus produce, and enhance food recovery methods. Through Produce Buyers Club, we have developed strategies that reduce on-farm food loss and redirect imperfect or excess produce to individuals experiencing food insecurity. Our efforts have resulted in the recovery of 643,592 pounds of surplus produce—equivalent to 2.57 million servings—since our partnership with SARE began.
Efficient Farm Production Practices
One major challenge farmers face is the strict aesthetic standards imposed by traditional retail markets, which often render perfectly edible produce unsellable. By collaborating directly with Georgia farmers, we provide an alternative outlet for this produce, allowing farmers to optimize their production and minimize waste. Additionally, our engagement at agricultural conferences and direct outreach efforts have strengthened farmer participation in our food recovery efforts and made surplus management a more integrated part of their farm operations.
Innovative Marketing and Education
Through our PEEL Outreach Program, we address another critical factor in food waste: consumer unfamiliarity with certain produce varieties. By equipping hunger relief agencies with training and educational materials—including produce handling guidance, taste tests, and cooking demonstrations—we empower individuals to make full use of the fresh produce they receive, reducing waste at the household level. Additionally, we are developing a training curriculum to expand the reach of this initiative, enabling more agencies to conduct these educational activities independently.
Best Practices for Food Recovery
Our Produce Buyers Club streamlines the process of connecting farmers with hunger relief agencies by offering a structured, farmer-driven approach to surplus distribution. Through this initiative:
- Farmers are engaged weekly to assess available surplus.
- An online ordering system allows hunger relief agencies to select the specific varieties and volumes they need.
- Logistics are coordinated with trucking companies to ensure efficient transportation from farms to our Atlanta warehouse.
- Produce is sorted and distributed to agencies serving food-insecure communities.
This model not only reduces food waste but also ensures that agencies receive produce in quantities they can effectively use, preventing further waste at the recipient level. A
According to the hunger relief partners surveyed at our Produce Pantry Party, Concrete Jungle is the sole provider of produce for 50% of our partners and 100% were satisfied with the quality of produce we provided, and 67% would like to receive more produce from us. Feeding Georgia Families said it best: “On behalf of everyone at Feeding GA Families, we extend our deepest gratitude to Concrete Jungle for their generous donations of fresh produce, which have been instrumental in our mission to empower communities by reducing food insecurity. Your steadfast support has not only allowed us to increase the amount of nutritious food we provide to each family but has also significantly enhanced the health outcomes within the communities we serve. By incorporating your fresh produce into our distributions, we offer healthier, more balanced options to those at risk, thereby amplifying our impact and advancing our efforts in housing support, workforce development, and provision of vital resources. Concrete Jungle’s contributions truly embody the spirit of community and shared resolve to nurture a brighter, healthier future for all. Thank you for being such a critical part of our journey and for the tangible difference you make in the lives of many.”
Identifying Food Loss and Waste Hotspots & Solutions
In the first 6 months of the SARE grant cycle, we have purchased or received donations of 643,592 pounds (2.57 million servings) of fresh produce. We had such a tremendous first 6 months largely because of 2 new partnerships:
- Atlanta Community Food Bank: ACFB can receive full tractor-trailer loads of produce, unlike many of our other partners. Being able to help farmers move such large loads of food has helped to strengthen farmers’ confidence in Concrete Jungle as reliable broker for imperfect produce.
- Coosemans produce distributor at the State Farmers Market: We believe this distributor as well as all of the other produce distributors operating out of the State Farmers Market are a potential food loss and waste “hotspots” because of the constant influx of produce into the market that often results in oversupply.
We believe these are two partnerships that will help us to scale our impact quickly by
Through these targeted strategies, Concrete Jungle is not only reducing immediate food loss and waste but also laying the groundwork for long-term systemic change. By addressing inefficiencies in production, distribution, and consumption, we hope our project is building a more resilient food system that prioritizes sustainability and equity.
There is so much more demand for Concrete Jungle’s fresh produce than we can meet at our current staffing capacity. While we work tirelessly to expand our capacity, we are seeking areas for increased efficiency so we can meet the skyrocketing demand at our partner agencies.
One significant opportunity for increased efficiency is streamlining deliveries. For large produce pickups from Coosemans at the State Farmers Market, we now coordinate with partner agencies that have large vehicles to collect their own produce. The demand is so high that some partners arrive as early as 5 AM to receive produce.
Additionally, we are developing decentralized distribution hubs in collaboration with our partners. For instance, several hunger relief agencies are located on Atlanta’s east side. Instead of requiring multiple pickups, our largest east-side partner will pick up their order along with those for several smaller agencies. From our partner’s location, they distribute the produce to the smaller agencies, reducing the need for our staff to coordinate three or more additional pickups or deliveries.
These strategic adjustments allow us to maximize efficiency and extend our limited capacity.