When farmers can't sell crops

When Geore Ahearn heard that farmers in Washington state were giving away onions and potatoes they suddenly could not sell, his instinct for goodwill led him to rescue 200 tons of vegetables and deliver them to food banks to feed people in need. The breakdown in farm supply chains due to the pandemic meant crops were left to rot, and farmers in rural Washington wished they could get their crops to food banks in Seattle.

Inspired by the farmers' plight, Ahearn asked on Facebook to borrow someone's truck or trailer for the day, to haul around 2,000 pounds of restaurant grade onions and potatoes. The response was dramatic. Soon, four trucks and two trailers had hauled 9.3 tons of crops to feed the hungry. This act of kindness grew into a nonprofit organization called EastWest Food Rescue. It has saved over 2.4 million pounds of food from the fields, while gathering enough donations to help compensate farmers for their loss.