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San Francisco, California | @fullharvestsf
Even as Americans push healthier eating, farmers’ markets, and fresh-food diets, the country wastes unbelievable amounts of otherwise edible produce. From bruised tomatoes to oddly shaped carrots, 22 billion pounds of “cosmetically imperfect” fruits and vegetables are thrown away every year. As if throwing away edible food isn’t frustrating enough, growers also dedicate fresh water to harvesting produce that ultimately never gets used and then transport and dispose of it by means that increase carbon emissions.
Christine Moseley, an entrepreneur with experience in Fortune 100 companies and high-growth startups, has stepped in to help fix problems in the US produce supply chain. Her California startup, Full Harvest, connects large farms with grocers willing to purchase surplus food at discounted prices.
The company has brought technology into the industry as a way to more efficiently track, manage, and monetize everything farms produce—right down to the gnarled strawberry. Successful transactions provide additional revenue for farmers and cheaper healthy food for the public—all while reducing food waste. The company was a winner of Rent the Runway’s recent Project Entrepreneur pitchfest, an accelerator program for women. Moseley expects to reach $1 million in sales within a year.
Moseley, who grew up in a Presbyterian church, sees her Christian faith as integral to her work. “I could not get through the difficult trials and tribulations of starting a business without my faith and the grace of God,” Moseley said. “It takes small to large miracles every day for an innovative, disruptive business to work. As my business grows, I know it is God’s work unfolding, not my own.”
