Celebrating 5 Years of Farmlink: A National Force for Food Equity

Rising Tide HR is thrilled to celebrate a major milestone with our incredible client, The Farmlink Project: five years of fighting food insecurity and reducing waste across the country. What started as a student-led initiative during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic has grown into a national force for good—connecting surplus food from farms to communities in need, and making a tangible impact every single day.

Over the past five years, The Farmlink Project has delivered hundreds of millions of pounds of fresh produce, empowered young leaders in food justice, and built meaningful partnerships across the agricultural and nonprofit sectors. Their work not only feeds people—it transforms lives and reshapes systems. Their efforts have resulted in the rescue and distribution of over 300 million pounds of food, providing approximately 250 million meals to those in need. Additionally, their work has prevented over 241,000 metric tons of CO₂-equivalent emissions by diverting produce from landfills, contributing to environmental sustainability.

Just this year, The Farmlink Project played a major support role in supporting Los Angeles during and after the wildfires by providing over 5 million meals to members of the community with an incredible sense of urgency. In 2024, in the aftermath of Hurricanes Milton and Helene, over 2 million lbs of fresh apples were shipped (57 truckloads!) from West Virginia growers into NC, SC, AL, GA, and FL . This is the equivalent of over 6.2 million apples!  They were able to reach community partners in 40 different destinations who helped distribute the apples to their communities

Since 2020, The Farmlink Project has received several awards for their dedication, including the Goalkeepers Award in 2023, the 30 Under 30 - Social Impact Award and Samuel S. Beard Award for Outstanding Public Service in 2022. Just recently, The Farmlink Project was selected as a Sprint Partner by Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate), a global initiative launched at COP26 to accelerate climate-smart agriculture. 

Partnership and collaboration are an important aspect of the success behind The Farmlink Project. Over the last five years, they have partnered with Chipotle, Kroger, John Deere, Carhart and Uber Freight to help move surplus food and provide food to those in need across the country. 

As an HR partner, we’ve had the privilege of supporting The Farmlink Project’s inspiring team through their growth, culture-building, and mission-driven work. From navigating the unique needs of a nonprofit startup to helping foster a people-first environment, it’s been a joy to stand beside them on this journey. The same dedication and drive to positively impact those around them that makes them a successful community partner is also what guides their culture and makes them a great organization to work for. Over the last year, we have helped support Farmlink Project in expanding their team of movers and shakers, creating more efficiency in their internal systems and processes and providing strategic guidance for the future so their leaders can focus on their mission - fighting food insecurity and reducing waste across the country.

Happy 5th Anniversary, Farmlink! Here’s to even more impact, innovation, and equity in the years to come. Rising Tide HR is proud to be your partner and we are excited for the next five years!