2024 ReFED Food Waste Solutions Summit
June 11-13, 2024 | Baltimore, MD
Baltimore Convention Center
Hannah Semler
Co-Founder and CEO
FarmDrop
Bio:
Hannah Semler became attuned to issues of hunger and food waste on a college research trip to Guatemala, which has Latin America’s highest malnutrition rate, when she noticed how much food deemed unsalable was left on the ground to rot there in industrial operations growing food for the first world. In 2006, she graduated from College of the Atlantic, and in 2011, she completed a master’s degree in international food business and consumer studies at the University of Kassel in Witzenhausen, Germany. Her thesis was on retail food waste prevention in Europe and the role of donations programs in supporting business bottom line.
In 2016 FarmDrop co-founder and CEO Hannah Semler, was the Gleaning Coordinator for Healthy Acadia, one of the first homes to FarmDrop, after it left the Blue Hill Wineshop. Hannah’s job back then was to harvest or rescue surplus from farms and bring it to food pantries and meal sites in Hancock County. During her time at Healthy Acadia, she also organized the largest free public meal ever, alongside the Food Recovery Coalition, a Portland-local coalition of food rescue and food security organizations. The “Feeding the 5000” Portland, ME event took place in 2016, and Hannah is excited to celebrate another great win, which is FarmDrop.us.
The collaborative coordinating and organizing of that day, had long lasting effects, some examples of which are the Maine Gleaning Network and the Food Recovery Coalition. However, it was clear that more solutions were needed for customers to directly access the bounty being produced on our local farms.
The hybrid approach to FarmDrop.us–a for-profit with a nonprofit culture–is at the core of what Hannah has fiercely innovated around, and passionately driven forward in her work. Until now, FarmDrop’s contributions to food access were only indirect, as FarmDrop generates revenue for nonprofits and helps build better relationships between gleaners and farms. In terms of food waste prevention, farmers are able to smartly manage their inventory, but haven’t been able to sell to multiple market channels, only the direct-to-consumer, which does not result in a whole crop inventory management solution.
Hannah is a consultant for food rescue organizations nationally and has been a Jesse and Betsy Fink Family Foundation Fellow since 2018. When not working on FarmDrop, Hannah has been found in Tucson, consulting for the Nogales Produce Rescue efforts that rescued nearly 200 million pounds of fresh produce from going to waste. She is now working with New Mexico’s Roadrunner Food Bank consulting for Dana Yost, the new President and CEO for almost a year. The roots of this work come back to Maine, to gleaning, to her international food business studies, and to the local farms she now supports through FarmDrop.
Though she loves her work immensely and often approaches it with a sense of play, everyone needs downtime. In hers, Hannah can be found fly fishing, hiking, paddle boarding and generally enjoying the outdoors with her gentle giant sidekick, Barley the magical dog.
Schedule
Wednesday, June 12
2:45pm - 3:45pm
Solution Provider Showcase 1 | Seed to Harvest: Solutions for On-Farm Food Loss
Showcase
Be prepared to be inspired! Our Solution Provider Showcases feature inventive presentations, thought-provoking discussions, and opportunities to forge connections with like-minded individuals passionate about creating positive change in the food waste sector.
Implementing food loss solutions and establishing best practices for waste reduction at the farm level can build resilience throughout the entire supply chain. From cutting-edge technologies to innovative agricultural practices, presenters will share their visions for cutting waste, maximizing yield efficiency, and creating a more sustainable food production landscape.