Farms across North America are faced with an unprecedented situation; millions of unsold pounds of product resulting from the collapse of the food service industry.
“Shortly after the rise of COVID-19 we started receiving calls from farmers that had no buyers for their fresh fruits & vegetables” said Outcast Foods CEO Dr. Darren Burke. “Truckloads of beautiful sweet potatoes, carrots, blueberries, and kale to name a few… All of which would have been rotting on the fields or tilled back into the soil.”
Outcast has also partnered with several new farms in recent weeks to help deal with the growing amount of surplus produce. “The dichotomy of nurturing plants into food and then wasting it doesn’t sit right with these family farms. We developed our sustainable technology to ensure nutrients from food destined for waste finds it’s way back into the food system to help feed families” said TJ Galiardi, CMO of Outcast Foods.
“The amount of time and resources it takes to grow our products is substantial, which is why we are always looking for ways to reduce the amount ending up as waste or animal feed. Working with Outcast Foods provides us with opportunities to upcycle our surplus or waste products, thereby reducing our operational risks and improving our farm efficiencies” Greg Gerrits, owner of Elmridge Farm in Centerville NS said.
Outcast uses a state of the art 3 step process to dry fruits and vegetables, immediately locking in the nutrients and extending shelf life to 2+ years. Next up for Outcast Foods is the construction of a scale processing facility currently planned for rural Nova Scotia to service the largest farms in the province. This plan is being expedited in response to the growing need for shelf stable foods across the globe.
ABOUT OUTCAST FOODS
Outcast Foods has developed a technology that can turn surplus fruits and vegetables into high value whole plant powders. This reduces food waste, decreases greenhouse gases (GHGs), and makes nutrients in food last longer. They work with farms, food brokers and grocers to convert misfit produce into natural health products, pet food and cosmetics. More information can be found at www.outcastfoods.com
