What is Food Recovery? 

  • Food Recovery is the rescue of edible food from food producers by a nonprofit food distribution organization (FDO)

  • Nonprofits are able to distribute recovered food that would otherwise end up in the waste stream

  • Edible food can be rescued from a variety of sources:

    • Large Grocery stores (Tier 1)

    • Large restaurants, schools, or event spaces (Tier 2)

    • Smaller food producers, although not required by law to donate, can also participate (Tier 3)

    • Fruits and vegetables are often rescued directly from farms, farmers markets, and backyard growers

  • Recovered food is redistributed to households through food pantries, meal programs, and community groups.

What is a Community Food Recovery Hub?

  • A community food recovery hub can remove obstacles to the expansion of food recovery in a number of ways

    • Coordination of edible food collection from food producers

    • Expansion of food storage capacity for temperature sensitive products

    • Creation of new opportunities for the distribution of recovered food

How can our food pantry participate?

  • Adelante Comunidad Conejo has been selected by the City of Thousand Oaks to use CalRecycle grant funds to provide services that will expand food recovery citywide

    • Organizations that are currently recovering food through the Food Share of Ventura County coordinated Tier 1 grocery store pick ups program will be invited to a food recovery capacity meeting at Adelante’s new facility. We will discuss obstacles to increasing food recovery from Tier 1 and Tier 2 food producers.

    • Food distribution organizations not currently participating in retail food recovery are also welcome to attend.

    • Organizations interested in diverting food for animal feed or composting should contact us by email at adelanteconejofood@gmail.com

How can restaurants and other  

food producers participate?       

  • Adelante Comunidad Conejo has been selected by the City of Thousand Oaks to use CalRecycle funds for the expansion of food recovery from local food producers.

    • Food Producers subject to Tier 2 requirements will be contacted as part of our process

    • Smaller food producers will be added as capacity and interest dictates

    • Contact us directly at adelanteconejofood@gmail.com to learn more.