Lonely Produce

"Connecting farmers to restaurants, one ugly vegetable at a time"

Jan 2018 - May 2019

THE PROBLEM

40% of food in America goes to waste, with a significant portion being perfectly edible produce that doesn't meet cosmetic standards or arrives at inconvenient times.

THE SOLUTION

A real-time marketplace that alerts restaurants when nearby farms have surplus produce, enabling same-day pickup at reduced prices while preventing food waste.

THE STORY

Born from a conversation over beer with a local farmer, Lonely Produce addressed the massive food waste problem in the farm-to-table supply chain. Farmers created real-time listings of excess harvests, and buyers could browse, set notifications, and place orders with a single click. We positioned the service as a community-focused way to reduce food waste by giving otherwise unsellable fruits and vegetables a market.

KEY METRICS

12+

Farms Connected

5 tons

Food Waste Reduced

25+

Restaurants Onboarded

ACHIEVEMENTS

Sweet 16 finalist in the 2018 University of Washington Business Plan Competition

Graduate of 2019 Class of UW Jones and Foster Accelerator

Bootstrapped MVP development connecting 12+ local farms with Seattle restaurants

Created real-time marketplace reducing produce waste by connecting supply with demand

Built notification system alerting buyers to new listings matching their preferences

Rentcito