Food Recovery Programs
Backyard Harvest
The Backyard Harvest Program coordinates volunteers and staff to collect fruit from trees that would otherwise go to waste. We harvest citrus, persimmons, pomegranates, stone fruit, and more from private properties, as well as from public and commercial orchards and farms. The Backyard Harvest Program connects nutritious, local fruit with hunger relief organizations, and provides volunteers with a hands-on opportunity to prevent food waste and fight food insecurity. We currently harvest in Los Angeles County, Ventura County, and small sections of Santa Barbara County.
Farmers Market Recovery
The Farmers Market Recovery Program connects beautiful, seasonal produce from local markets with hunger relief organizations. The program prevents quality produce from being wasted and provides a solution to farmers who have unsold produce and hunger relief partners a reliable source of fruits and vegetables for their community. It also provides volunteers with a hands-on opportunity to prevent food waste, fight food insecurity, and get to know their local farmers market vendors. We currently glean the following farmers markets across Los Angeles and Ventura counties:
Calabasas Farmers Market
Channel Islands Farmers Market
Culver City Farmers Market
Encino Farmers Market
Hollywood Farmers Market
Mar Vista Farmers Market
Melrose Place Farmers Market
Ojai Farmers Market
Santa Monica Farmers Market
Studio City Farmers Market
Thousand Oaks Farmers Market
Torrance Saturday Farmers Market
Torrance Tuesday Farmers Market
Ventura Farmers Market
West Hollywood Farmers Market
Westlake Village Farmers Market*
* Not accepting volunteers
Wholesale Recovery Program
The Wholesale Produce Recovery refrigerated warehouse located in Bell, California is the hub for tens of thousands of pounds of daily surplus produce donations from the Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market in Los Angeles, its surrounding district, and from growers and shippers across the region and the country.
Complete with loading docks, refrigerated and dry storage, and advanced inventory software, the Produce Pit Stop refrigerated warehouse allows for millions of recovered produce to be donated to the community annually.
Food Forward’s Wholesale Recovery Program provides a sustainable solution to avoid the loss of perfectly edible produce being thrown away, often due to not meeting cosmetic standards or changes in demand. Instead, this nutritious surplus is redirected to hundreds of hunger relief organizations across Southern California, ranging from regional food banks to community-based service centers experiencing food insecurity 100 percent free of charge.
Accepting new Wholesale Donors
Contact us:
323-307-9882