Each month, we will highlight community heroes that are making a difference in their communities and working to make their local environments cleaner and healthier.
This month, we are taking a look at Cultivate Food Rescue in IN!
Cultivate Food Rescue is devoted to ending the cycle of hunger in the local communities of northern Indiana by providing a food rescue service. They recover the food at their donor’s doorstep to properly store it at their facility and redistributing it to those who are in need, their network makes rescuing food simple and efficient. Their model of food recovery and redistribution enables more of their hungry neighbors to have access to fresh, nutritious food, eliminating barriers like transportation and time. Biobag Associate spoke to Bryan Horvath, Associate Director of Volunteer Services, about the organization. Their interview is transcribed below.
What led you to start your organization?
Our co-founders began Cultivate as a culinary education institution. They went to visit another food rescue organization in Indianapolis, Second Helpings, to learn about their culinary training program. It was the day after the Indianapolis 500 and they were inundated with rescued food. They then brought the idea of food rescue back to South Bend. They began discussions with the University of Notre Dame as the new football stadium opened. Food rescue with Cultivate became part of the university’s sustainability goals and we’ve been growing ever since.
Who do you serve and how can people get in touch with you if they want to get involved?
We serve over 1500 students in our tri-county area with each student receiving 6 healthy frozen meals each Friday. We also serve over 200 food pantries, each with access to our full inventory and the ability to order what they need when they need it. We always welcome additional schools and pantries to receive our services free of charge.
How much organic material do you typically take in on a weekly basis?
In 2024, we averaged over 75,000 lbs. of rescued food each week. Our waste is typically less than 2% but with our new composting program we will be close to zero!
Feel free to add any additional information about your operation as you see fit.
Our food rescue efforts have resulted in 21,002 metric tons of CO2e being removed from the atmosphere. In addition to our mission to keep food from the landfill, we are planting over ½ an acre of native prairie between our buildings to improve groundwater infiltration, provide pollinator habitat and further reduce our stormwater treatment emissions. We also recently completed a 195kW solar canopy in our parking lot, reducing the energy consumption in our existing building by 67%.
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