In this episode, Dr. Rob Harter sits down with Aidan Reilly, co-founder of The Farmlink Project, a nonprofit that began as a college passion project and grew into a national food recovery movement. What started in 2020 as two friends trying to make a difference during the COVID-19 pandemic quickly evolved into a logistics powerhouse that has since delivered over 350 million pounds of food—soon to be half a billion.

Aidan shares the compelling origin story of Farmlink and how a group of students bridged the gap between farms with surplus food and food banks in desperate need. With impressive agility, grassroots organizing, and a deep sense of purpose, Farmlink has scaled nationwide and is now exploring international efforts. Aidan also discusses how Farmlink is addressing food waste, hunger, and climate change simultaneously—and how their innovative model may one day make their own work unnecessary.

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Summary

The conversation with Aidan Reilly from the Farm Link Project explores the organization’s journey from a student-led initiative to a national movement addressing food waste and hunger. Aidan shares insights on the importance of partnerships, innovative solutions, and the impact of their work on communities and the environment. The discussion highlights the challenges faced in scaling their efforts and the vision for a sustainable food system that eliminates waste and hunger.

Quotes
“We shouldn’t, let’s try to help.”
“We rescued 50 million apples.”
“We work with all food banks.”

Chapters
00:00 The Birth of Farm Link Project
02:54 Scaling Up: Partnerships and Systems
05:48 Connecting Farms and Food Banks
08:40 Addressing Food Waste and Consumer Preferences
11:35 Measuring Impact: Hunger Relief and Climate Outcomes
19:54 Harnessing AI for Nonprofit Scalability
22:34 Eliminating Waste and Hunger: A Guiding Philosophy
26:18 Building Infrastructure for Zero Waste
29:10 Overcoming Operational Challenges in Scaling
33:58 Strategizing for Future Growth and Impact