Dewatering machines, repacked produce box assembly lines, hydraulic dump trucks…yes, we’re still talking about hunger relief!
The AzFBN Produce Program is a business solution in Rio Rico, Arizona that is ending hunger across the Southwest (and beyond).
In its second full year of operations from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024, the AzFBN Produce Program channeled 51.6 million pounds of food, most of which is nutritious produce, directly to food banks across the nation. The Rio Rico warehouse repacked and distributed 887,499 family-friendly produce boxes, complete with 4-5 varieties of fruits and vegetables, much of which would have otherwise gone to waste.
With two avenues of processing and repurposing, bulk loads and repacked mix loads, AzFBN is able to accept literally tons of pounds of food from produce donors. Over time, the relationships built with these produce donors have become invaluable in the effort of providing food banks with a reliable source of nutritious food year-round.
With a growing Sourcing team dedicated to sustainability, the AzFBN Produce Program continues to build relationships in the produce distribution industry. This program empowers produce distribution companies with regional and national reach to avoid taking perfectly good produce to the Santa Cruz county landfill, which is nearing capacity, with the added benefit of helping food banks nourish the 600,000 Arizonans visiting food banks each month. Click here to see what is in a food box.
At the close of the program’s second year and AzFBN’s 40th year of operations, AzFBN is proud to officially own the warehouse in Rio Rico, Arizona as of June 2024.
Ownership of this warehouse helps us move toward a goal of becoming a zero–produce–waste operation by 2030. As partially-consumable produce donations increase and bulk loads of a single product have become more common, AzFBN implemented two new bagging machines in May 2024, which enable the Repack staff to process an average of about 1,100 pounds of produce per hour. In December 2024, dewatering machines that process food waste for animal feed, compost, or other salable and repurposed byproduct accompanied them.
In July 2024, newly equipped with a hydraulic lift dump truck thanks to a Feeding America grant, the Sourcing team connected with about 20 farmers within a 10-mile radius of the Rio Rico warehouse. By 2025, in the month of January alone, over 300,000 pounds of produce waste was delivered directly to farmers in the area instead of rotting in the landfill!
A win for people, animals and the environment.
Have questions about the program?
For questions about food boxes, reach out to [email protected]
For general questions about the program, reach out to [email protected]
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