The Bossticks The Shocking Truth About Produce Waste In America & Fixing The Broken Food Supply Chain Ft. Melissa Ackerman of Planet Harvest
Mar 6, 2026
Melissa Ackerman, founder and CEO of Planet Harvest, builds systems to move excess fresh produce from farms to families. She reveals massive produce left in fields, why grocery specs cause waste, and how pandemic relief scaled produce box programs. She urges embracing imperfect produce, reshaping supply chains, and practical shopping habits to reduce waste and support farmers.
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Millions Of Pounds Of Produce Never Leave The Field
- About 30% of U.S. produce is left unharvested because it fails retail size/appearance specs.
- Melissa Ackerman cites 400 million pounds of strawberries left in fields yearly as an example of perfectly edible waste.
Supply Chains, Not Shortages, Block Food Access
- The root barrier connecting excess produce to people in need is a broken supply chain, not lack of food.
- Planet Harvest formed from the pandemic-era realization that logistics must be rebuilt to move farm surplus to communities.
Shop Produce In Stages To Avoid Waste
- Buy produce in stages to reduce household waste by matching ripeness to when you’ll eat it.
- Melissa buys bananas at varying ripeness and encourages consumers to accept imperfect sizes like European markets do.