Get the dirt on fighting food waste
Meet the Taupō start-up making veggies exciting again
Did you know that one third of all food produced globally goes to waste? It’s not just leftovers growing legs in the fridge, either. A surprising amount of what farmers produce doesn’t even make it to supermarket shelves. Too small, too big, not quite the right colour or shape, or just a bumper crop: all reasons our grocery stores might reject fresh produce from the farm.
The thought of all this great food never reaching our plates is what drove the two founders of Misfit Garden to start up their subscription boxes. Filled with delicious, fresh local produce, their boxes help connect growers to customers, prioritising fruit and vegetables that otherwise might have gone to waste.
For founders Jen and Sofia, this was the start of their mission to lower food waste, while also helping people enjoy more vegetables. They began working with local growers to take this surplus produce to the people, and in the process have inspired Kiwis to get excited about cooking vegetables again. They also donate 10% of their produce to charities and community meals around the area!
Inside each box is an array of local, seasonal produce. It’s not all ugly or misshapen and includes a couple of staples like potatoes and onions, plus something not normally found in the supermarket. Recent examples include purple asparagus and Chioggia (striped) beetroot.
The produce is picked seasonally and collected straight away, then packed and delivered to people’s doors. This cuts out a lot of the supply chain that large stores use and makes it a great eco-friendly way to get your five-a- day. The food supply chain is one of the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, with food often travelling many kilometres before it gets to us.
With boxes starting from $26, you can enjoy fresh, healthy produce and fight food waste. Misfit Garden delivers in Taupō, Rotorua, Hamilton, and Cambridge. Tauranga, Whakatāne and Auckland coming soon!