The Farmlink Project connects surplus produce to communities in need, reduces carbon emissions, and empowers the next generation of young changemakers.

The Farmlink Project is acting as the “link” connecting the broken supply chains in the agricultural and food access industries. Our long-term goal is to set up infrastructure which will render our work obsolete. If there were no food waste, if there were no hungry people lining up outside understocked and underfunded food banks, there would be no need for The Farmlink Project. That’s the dream.

Source: Nonprofit submitted responses

Goal One: The Farmlink Project intends to increase the volume of produce delivered to communities and rescued from farms while simultaneously improving our cost margins.

Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.

Goal Two: The Farmlink Project is seeking to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions through our produce rescue operations, as well as through our carbon offsetting program, Carbonlink.

Goal Type: This goal reflects our commitment to further our advocacy work for our organization and or cause area.

Goal Three: The Farmlink Project aims to expand our operations to new communities across the country.

Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.

Describe an investment in leadership

Farmlink has focused on large-scale food system reform and decreasing our operations and redistribution costs. Equally importantly, we have focused on organizational longevity and sustainability and recognize the importance of our investment in our staff and fellows in carrying our mission forward. Student fellows are the drivers of Farmlink's mission, however we have been excited to put energy and resources into the hiring of full-time staff to cultivate long-term and lasting relationships with our funders and community partners. Our organization is proud to have built a team of over 200 people from over 50 colleges and careers, spread across 38 states. Our team equips employees and volunteers with DEI training and triannual culture surveys to understand the needs and concerns of the team.

This organization mobilizes for mission in the following ways:

• Strategic Partnerships

• Networks of Collective Impact Efforts

• Thought Leadership

• Raising Awareness

• Community Building

• Policy Advocacy

What are this organization’s external mobilizaton efforts?

Farmlink does more than transport food to communities who need it; we are actively working to improve the food system, looking beyond the current food banking model to advance the dignity, choice, and consistency in communities’ access to fresh produce. Farmlink is a food rescue organization, and our efforts to rescue food have required innovative collaboration. Our experience delivering to diverse communities across the nation has created a more informed and attentive team and deals process. We connect one on one with the food bank managers, community leaders, and farmers we work with to ensure their needs are met to the best of our ability. Additionally, our Creative Team raises awareness of our mission through marketing activities, video interviews and social media while our Policy Team works on federal policy advocacy.

As a young, fast paced organization we realized a need for agile working structures. First, we encourage a high degree autonomy for not only our staff but our student fellows to feel able to make decisions, innovate and get things done. Secondly, we have a high degree of alignment across groups so that the right things get done in the first place.