Since last year, Cox Enterprises has partnered with Feeding America to help bring fresh produce to food banks and communities across the U.S. and Canada.
To date, Mucci Farms and BrightFarms, under the Cox Farms umbrella, have donated more than 4 million servings of fresh fruits and vegetables to food banks in 18 states, says Jess Soare, assistant vice president of marketing for Cox Farms.
“We’ve been able to donate fresh fruits and vegetables to over 32 food banks over the past about year and a half that we’ve had this program going on,” she says.
Soare says philanthropy is in the DNA of Cox Farms, and this partnership with Feeding America goes beyond just donating produce. The company also participates in community events within the company’s regional network.
“[That is] to be able to go and help do packing events, be able to help the food banks at times when they actually just literally need hands to be able to sort through food and be able to process it — because that’s so much of what a food bank actually does,” she says.
Leveraging Regional Greenhouses to Extend Produce Shelf Life
Soare says that Cox Farms having greenhouses situated across the country has helped the company support Feeding America with produce grown much closer to the donation instead of moving excess produce throughout the country.
“We’re always looking at new ways and layers that we can continue to make it bigger and really spread the word importantly about how just important it is for anybody to be able to take that little of what you have and be able to bring that and affect your local community,” she says.
That cost of moving produce can be cumbersome for Feeding America, which first looks locally, then regionally and then broader through its network to disburse donations.
“The benefit that we have with our greenhouses is that we can distribute that produce that we have regionally,” she says. “So, most of the time, our produce stays within a pretty small radius, because 100% of counties in the U.S. have people that are food insecure. Everywhere needs access to that.”
Soare says she’s heard direct feedback from recipients who say those close-to-home donations are so needed and meaningful and, of course, taste good.
“We’ve spoken to so many people directly at the food banks who say ‘Thank you so much. This actually lasts in my fridge. I’m working many different jobs. I actually, I don’t have to do anything to prepare the lettuce after a long day of working. It actually is lasting in my fridge for when I’m actually finally able to get to it and actually able to consume it.’”
Meeting Food Bank Needs With Smaller, Frequent Deliveries
Soare says Cox Farms looks to donate in smaller volumes. Food banks often struggle with refrigeration space devoted to pantry staples such as milk and eggs and need to move donated produce quickly.
“Being able to kind of come in with smaller loads and not dump in huge volumes of excess and do it more frequently has also really benefited them as well,” she says.
Reducing food waste is a major focus for Cox Farms, Soare says, which is part of the reason the company has partnered with Feeding America.
“We have worked really hard to try to make this partnership not just an extra thing that we do, but it’s really something that we always do,” she says.
Integrating Food Rescue Directly Into Supply Chain Forecasting
The approach includes building infrastructure to ensure no lettuce leaf is left behind in the greenhouse and that any excess product isn’t viewed internally as such.
“In a lot of parts of our business, they’re not really thinking of it as excess product,” Soare says. “They’re thinking about it as Feeding America as another customer of ours, such that when there is something available, we can give it to another customer.”
This means Feeding America is a part of the company’s sales system, and as the company forecasts the next week, it can factor in any donations.
“That’s how we’re able to really make sure that we’re not faced in a situation where we have a lot, where we have to act suddenly really quickly or have to ask our food bank partners to jump through a lot of hoops to be able to come get rescue product,” she says. “We’re able to plan it out ahead for them.”
Soare says this partnership with Feeding America highlights the company’s commitment to being a good partner to retailers as well as to the community.
“We’re really trying to demonstrate that this is really investing in the future of greenhouse grown,” she says. “We’re owned by a family that really believes, truly deeply in their hearts, believes in being able to give access to fresh food for generations to come.”
