Rescuing Local Food

Leverage the power of Forager to get more food to more people who need it and reduce food waste

With efficient digital tools for procurement and a rich network of buyers, including institutions, discount grocers, and food banks, Forager can help food recovery organizations scale their operations and generate revenue to cover costs and reduce farm food loss.  Forager is an Endorser of the EPA Food Recovery Challenge in Region 1.

EPA Food Hierarchy


Established under a grant from ReFED in the spring of 2020, our food rescue operations have recovered and distributed over 85,000 lbs. of fresh produce to communities in need, such as Native communities through the Southwest who have been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you are a gleaner, or other organization involved in food rescue, and would like to increase the efficiency of your operations and find more potential outlets for purchase or donation, let's talk.

How Forager Helps:

Forager, the digital procurement platform for local food, is using its technology to prevent food waste by connecting food recovery, gleaning, food insecurity and food justice organizations with retailers and hunger-relief organizations to help streamline the process of redistributing surplus food.  By leveraging the Forager platform and network, retailers secure fresh local food at discount prices, farmers and rescue organizations access a revenue stream to help fund their operations, and hunger-relief organizations get access to a wider network of sources for potential food donations.

Featured in the New York Times

Thank you to The New York Times for bringing attention to the vital work of food rescue organizations around the country, we were honored to be included.
Read the article

Get in touch with us

We're always happy to answer your questions and discuss how Forager can help to simplify your processes and expand your operations.

Emily Lefebvre
Director of Operations and Customer Relations

Rescuing Local Food

Leverage the power of Forager to get more food to more people who need it and reduce food waste

With efficient digital tools for procurement and a rich network of buyers, including institutions, discount grocers, and food banks, Forager can help food recovery organizations scale their operations and generate revenue to cover costs and reduce farm food loss.

Established under a grant from ReFED in the spring of 2020, our food rescue operations have recovered and distributed over 85,000 lbs. of fresh produce to communities in need, such as Native communities through the Southwest who have been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you are a gleaner, or other organization involved in food rescue, and would like to increase the efficiency of your operations and find more potential outlets for purchase or donation, let's talk.

Contact us for more info

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Forager cost?

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Under this program, all fees Forager might typically charge are waived for the duration of the grant period. Thereafter, donation transactions are free and other transactions will be charged the normal markup. Additional fees for starting promotions may apply after the grant period.

If my business or organization starts using Forager to buy surplus products, does that in any way restrict my buying capabilities from other sources?

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No. You can buy from anyone you want on the Forager platform, and using the Forager platform does not restrict you from buying any food, local or otherwise, from off-platform sources. Our Digital Services Agreement for Buyers does require that you not utilize technologies that compete directly with Forager.

How do I join as a Buyer?

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Getting on-boarded as a Buyer onto the platform is very easy and requires information about your existing local supply chain and an account for electronic payments. We will help you every step of the way and provide formal training for you and your colleagues on how to use the platform. The platform is intuitively designed and buyers find it easy to learn and use quickly.

How do I join as a Supplier?

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Getting on-boarded as a Supplier is also very easy and requires information about the products you plan to carry throughout the year as well as an account for electronic payments. We help you every step of the way and train you to use the platform. The supplier side of the platform is extremely easy to use and designed for and used by producers with limited as well as extensive technology use experience.

How does this help gleaning organizations and how does this further reduce food waste?

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Gleaning organizations are able to fund a portion of their hunger-relief volunteer operation through the sale of surplus food. What is not sold can be donated and the revenue earned from the sale can be divided between the gleaning organization and the original producer (Forager does not currently participate in this part of the surplus transaction). Building a successful revenue program allows gleaners to spend less time looking for funding through donations and grants.While local producers all strive to minimize potential waste and sell what they produce, uncertainty in the market in the coming months caused by the Pandemic creates a higher risk of waste for local producers of all kinds. By adding a surplus program that pays producers for some of their excess product (instead of only running a donation program), gleaners make themselves even more valuable to producers and help them improve their profitability and sustainability.Gleaners will play a vital role in reducing food waste by managing excess food inventory through both a surplus (for sale at a discount) and donation (for free) stream that delivers the best outcomes for all parties while reducing waste.

Program Grant

Forager is grateful to have received funding for the Gleaner Surplus Program from the ReFED COVID-19 Food Waste Solutions Fund, which is helping to get critical support to for-profit and nonprofit organizations working on the front lines to rescue food that might otherwise go to waste during the pandemic.
Learn more about ReFED