Farm to Food Bank
What is Farm to Food Bank?
Millions of Carolinians lack sufficient nutritious, fresh food, while many farmers and packers often have surplus food on hand.
Our Farm to Food Bank program helps rescue and deliver perfectly healthy, but unmarketable, produce to hungry families across North and South Carolina and throughout the Feeding America Network of 200 food banks across the country.
We sourced over 75 million pounds of fresh produce in FY23-24 to nourish our neighbors; 75 million pounds of food that would otherwise end up in landfills. Currently, we partner with more than 50 Carolina farmers, offering 35+ varieties of produce to help feed the food insecure.
How Does it Work?
OUR GOAL IS TO FIGHT HUNGER BY PROVIDING MORE NUTRITIOUS FOOD THROUGH THE AGRICULTURAL SURPLUS IN NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA.
We partner with Carolina farmers to provide healthy produce to our Food Banks and their partner agencies. We can handle your donation – whether it’s a bin or a whole tractor-trailer load. That’s right – we can access a fleet of trucks, multiple warehouses, and commercial refrigeration to stage your donation as it makes its way to the hands of our hungry neighbors.
How Farmers Can Partner With Us
FTC has the expertise and infrastructure to handle your donations while complying with food safety standards. We welcome unmarketable, but healthy “perfectly imperfect” produce. Whether it’s excess produce or it doesn’t meet the aesthetic requirements for retail sale, we repurpose what would otherwise be thrown away.
This includes produce that is:
- Distressed
- Blemished
- Misshapen
- Unsalable
- Test Products
Produce by Season
Learn about the varieties of fresh produce the Carolinas offer and their peak seasons.
SPRING | MARCH, APRIL, MAY
Beets, Blueberries, Broccoli, Cabbage, Collards, Green Beans, Kale, Mixed Greens, Okra, Potatoes (russet, white, yellow), Radishes, Spinach, Strawberries, Summer Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Turnips
SUMMER | JUNE, JULY, AUGUST
Apples, Beets, Blackberries, Blueberries, Broccoli, Butterbeans, Cabbage, Cantaloupe, Cherry Tomatoes, Collards, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Green Beans, Green Beans, Honeydew, Kale, Mixed Greens, Nectarines, Onions, Okra, Peaches, Peppers, Potatoes (russet, white, yellow), Radishes, Strawberries, Summer Squash, Sweet Corn, Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes, Turnips, Watermelon
FALL | SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER
Apples, Beets, Blackberries, Cabbage, Cantaloupe, Cherry Tomatoes, Collards, Cucumbers, Green Beans, Kale, Mixed Greens, Onions, Okra, Peaches, Peppers, Potatoes (russet, white, yellow), Pumpkins, Radishes, Spinach, Sweet Corn, Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes, Turnips, Watermelon, Winter Squash
WINTER | DECEMBER, JANUARY, FEBRUARY
Apples, Collards, Kale, Mixed Greens, Potatoes (russet, white, yellow), Spinach, Sweet Potatoes, Turnips, Winter Squash
Interested in a full breakdown of seasonal produce in the Carolinas?
The more Food Bank produce sourcers we connect with, the more produce we can absorb, reducing waste and feeding more people across the Feeding America network.
Farmers, Connect With Us to Donate Fresh Produce!
Are you a farmer, grower, produce sourcer looking to donate excess food? We’d love to help.
Fill out the form below and we’ll be in touch!