Meet Jordan, a student at Brown University currently on a gap year. She serves as the Project Manager of Farmlink’s Product Team. The Farmlink Project connects farmers to food banks, delivering millions of pounds of farm fresh produce that would otherwise be wasted to feed families in need. The Farmlink Project has been featured on the Washington Post, Fox News, CNBC, NYT, ABC News, and several others, and now has a team of over 250 college students!
Listen to Jordan paint a vivid picture of the agricultural industry and the produce supply chain. She goes into detail on how the pandemic drastically increased food waste and the logistical nightmare of dealing with the three points of waste: in-field, “post-harvest, pre-retail,” and rejected loads. Jordan shares stories of discussions with growers, the operating hassle of directing massive trucks, and the strict product specifications of retailers. Listen to her delve into what makes a "Snow White Apple," how “pretty” strawberries can hurt truck drivers, and how farmers deal with the economic pressure of food waste.
Towards the end, I read an email from another member of the Farmlink Project who credits Jordan with "joining a very male-dominated team early on" and being "vocal/formative enough to make Farmlink the welcoming, supportive, communicative place it is now."
The Farmlink Project is looking for people to join their initiative! Visit their website: https://www.farmlinkproject.org/, and reach out directly to Jordan on Instagram: @jordyhartzell
