What Hungry Harvest does

Hungry Harvest, founded in 2014 by CEO Evan Lutz in College Park, Maryland, is a subscription-based produce rescue and delivery company operating across the Mid-Atlantic (Baltimore, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Northern Virginia). The company sources surplus and cosmetically imperfect produce from partner farms — including Specialty Potatoes & Produce — that would otherwise go to waste due to aesthetic standards or excess supply, then delivers it to customers in weekly or bi-weekly produce boxes starting at $17. Since inception, the company reports rescuing more than 12 million pounds of produce and donating over 915,000 pounds to hunger-fighting organizations, with roughly two pounds donated for every box sold.\n\nThe product set centers on Harvest Boxes (core subscription), Harvest Customization (a $1.50 opt-in feature letting customers preview and adjust their upcoming order), an online Marketplace for grocery add-ons, a Wholesale Program for bulk buyers, and the HarvestRx sub-brand. Distribution runs through a self-serve e-commerce platform (shop.hungryharvest.net), direct home delivery by local drivers, Produce in a SNAP community markets in food-insecure neighborhoods, and institutional partnerships including the MedStar Health Food Rx program (nine programs across five hospitals) and Baltimore County Public Schools. Ancillary revenue mechanics include a $4.99 delivery fee for orders under $39.99 and the $1.50 customization fee.\n\nThe business model blends direct-to-consumer subscription with institutional and community channels. Revenue streams are subscription recurring (produce boxes, customization) and transaction-based (delivery fees, marketplace add-ons). Strategic capital partners include Robert Herjavec (Shark Tank, 2016), Creadev, Danone Manifesto Ventures, and the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, with a Form D filed in October 2023 for up to $5M. The company is organized as Hungry Harvest, LLC in Maryland, with an 11–50 employee headcount and no disclosed proprietary technology platform beyond its e-commerce and logistics operations.

Name

Hungry Harvest

Legal name

Hungry Harvest, LLC

Website

https://hungryharvest.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hungry Harvest is a Mid-Atlantic subscription produce delivery company that rescues surplus farm produce and delivers weekly boxes starting at $17 to consumers, while operating Food Rx healthcare programs and donating produce to food-insecure communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Subscription Produce Delivery

NAICS

Fruit and Vegetable Retailers (445230), Fruit and Vegetable Retailers (44523), Grocery and Related Product Merchant Wholesalers (4244)

SIC

Retail-Food Stores (5400), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Fresh Food Subscription/CSA & Produce Box Retail (CRAHAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scheduled Delivery & Subscription Grocery (CRAHAIAC), Farm-to-Consumer Produce Boxes / CSA Delivery (AFAIANAC)

Keywords

• Produce subscription delivery
• Surplus produce rescue
• Food waste reduction
• Community-supported agriculture
• Online grocery delivery

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Produce Box Subscriptions: Weekly or bi-weekly subscription model delivering rescued produce boxes to customers' homes. Customers pay recurring fees for produce deliveries with options to customize orders for an additional fee.
2. Order Customization: Customers can customize their produce boxes for a $1.50 fee to offset sorting and packing costs. Additional charges apply when added items exceed standard harvest value.
3. Marketplace Add-ons: Customers can purchase additional grocery staples from the marketplace alongside their produce boxes.
4. Delivery Fees: $4.99 delivery fee for orders under $39.99 to cover logistics costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hungry Harvest operates a subscription-based produce delivery service that rescues surplus and cosmetically imperfect fruits and vegetables from farmers and delivers them in curated boxes to subscribers' homes on a weekly or bi-weekly cadence. Boxes start at $17 across multiple sizes including organic options, with optional customization for a $1.50 fee and a marketplace for grocery staples add-ons. For every box sold, the company donates 2 lbs of produce to hunger-fighting organizations.

Product overview

Hungry Harvest operates as a subscription-based produce delivery service that rescues surplus and imperfect produce from farmers and delivers it to customers. The core product is the Harvest Box subscription available in various sizes starting at $17, with optional customization for a $1.50 fee. The company also offers a Marketplace for additional grocery staples. Beyond direct-to-consumer delivery, the platform includes social impact programs such as Produce in a SNAP community markets and donation partnerships. The company also maintains a Wholesale Program for bulk purchases. The service operates primarily in the Mid-Atlantic region including Maryland, Philadelphia, and Northern Virginia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Harvest Boxes Subscription produce boxes containing rescued surplus and cosmetically imperfect fruits and vegetables, available in multiple sizes including organic options, delivered weekly or bi-weekly to subscribers' homes starting at $17 per box.
• Harvest Marketplace

Quantifiable outcome

• 12+ million pounds of produce rescued since 2014
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MedStar HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Hungry Harvest joined forces with MedStar Health in 2018 to support patients and address food insecurity through the Food Rx program at MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital. The collaboration provides a dignified food experience, addresses social drivers of health, and has expanded to nine programs across five MedStar Health hospitals in Maryland and DC. The program delivers fresh produce to patients, resulting in improved health outcomes for those with chronic diseases.
• Give Back BoxminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership allowing customers to use Hungry Harvest boxes to donate unwanted household items to local charity organizations. Customers fill the box and ship using prepaid labels provided through the Give Back Box program.
• Baltimore County Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership since September 2016 providing healthy produce delivery to BCPS faculty and staff. Over 500 teachers and administrators receive weekly produce deliveries, resulting in 64,000 pounds rescued and 16,000 pounds donated locally.
• Specialty Potatoes & ProducecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFarmer partner who supplies produce to Hungry Harvest. Through this partnership, the farm has been able to move 85% of their purple fingerling potatoes that would have otherwise gone to waste, saving over 30,000 pounds of produce.
• MedStar Good Samaritan HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal location of the Food Rx program where Hungry Harvest began partnering with MedStar Health in 2018 to address food insecurity among hospital patients.
• MedStar Washington Hospital CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of five MedStar Health hospitals included in the expanded Food Rx partnership providing fresh produce to food-insecure patients.
• MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHospital included in the MedStar Health & Hungry Harvest Food Rx partnership network serving the Maryland region.
• MedStar Franklin Square Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHospital included in the expanded partnership with Community Health Associates (CHA) Referral Programs serving Baltimore communities.
• KC FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Katelyn Knudsen in memory of her late father to give back to the Baltimore community. Hungry Harvest began partnership with KC Foundation in 2021 to support food access initiatives.
• YMCA of Frederick CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner that ran Produce in a SNAP markets throughout the pandemic. The YMCA works collaboratively with community partners to improve the lives of children, adults, families, and the entire community.
• Baltimore Washington Medical CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Maryland BWMC foundation worked to fundraise and build secure and consistent access to produce for clients during the pandemic, supporting healthcare heroes and community safety.
• College Park Community Food BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity food bank partner in College Park, Maryland, where Hungry Harvest was founded. Partner Jeremy Lunsford began volunteering at the food bank over 10 years ago.
• PhilabundanceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhiladelphia-based food bank partnership where Hungry Harvest collaborated to provide over 17,000 boxes of food during the pandemic emergency response.
• Disability Network Wayne CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Detroit as Hungry Harvest expands into new markets. Outstanding partner prioritizing social impact mission in new regions.
• Mount Washington Pediatric HospitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaryland partner that provided access to food throughout the pandemic despite heavy medical needs in their community.
• Community College of Baltimore CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCBC partnership to provide food to their community, with donation made to help students continue their educational journey.
• Y of Central MarylandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner that provided over 760,000 lbs of food to their community during 16 months of the pandemic through Produce in a SNAP markets.
• Jewish Relief AgencyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhiladelphia-based mission-driven organization dedicated to providing food access to communities across the city. Partnership began in Summer 2020 for Emergency Boxes and food access programs.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Imperfect Foods: Imperfect Foods sells subscription boxes of imperfect and surplus produce plus grocery staples, mirroring Hungry Harvest's core model with added CPG breadth. Operates on a national scale, representing the largest direct competitor in the surplus-produce subscription space.
• Farmbox Direct: Farmbox Direct is a smaller subscription produce box company that delivers organic and locally-sourced produce. Operates a similar DTC subscription model targeting health-conscious consumers, making it a comparable — though less scaled — direct peer.
• Farm Fresh To You: Farm Fresh To You is a longstanding CSA-style produce box delivery service operating in California and select Western states. Comparable subscription-based farm-to-door produce model, though geographically distinct and focused on organic/sustainable sourcing rather than surplus rescue.
• Misfits Market: Misfits Market operates a nearly identical subscription model delivering surplus and 'ugly' produce directly to consumers. It is the most directly comparable competitor, having raised significantly more capital and operating nationally — making it both a benchmark and a competitive threat to Hungry Harvest.

Broad incumbents

• Daily Harvest: Daily Harvest operates a subscription delivery service for prepared plant-based foods and smoothies. While its core offering is prepared rather than fresh produce, it competes for the same health-conscious, convenience-oriented DTC subscription customer.
• Thrive Market: Thrive Market is a large online membership-based grocery retailer focused on natural, organic, and sustainable products. While broader than produce-only, it competes for the same health-conscious, mission-driven consumer wallet and offers a similar convenience-plus-values proposition.
• FreshDirect: FreshDirect is an established online grocer operating in the Northeast US, including areas overlapping with Hungry Harvest's Mid-Atlantic footprint. It offers broader grocery delivery but competes for the fresh-produce-at-home customer.
• Instacart: Instacart is a broad online grocery delivery platform operating in Hungry Harvest's service geography. It is not a produce-rescue specialist but competes directly for the home-delivery grocery dollar, especially among price-sensitive customers.
• Sun Basket: Sun Basket is a meal kit and prepared food delivery service with a subscription model. While primarily meal kits rather than produce boxes, it overlaps with Hungry Harvest in the DTC healthy-food subscription category.
• HelloFresh: HelloFresh is the largest meal kit subscription company globally, operating at massive scale. It is broader than Hungry Harvest's produce model but competes for the same convenience-driven, home-cooking subscription customer segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HungryHarvest
• Facebookfacebook.com/HungryHarvest
• Instagraminstagram.com/HungryHarvest

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors6 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hungry Harvest