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2024 AGO International Gleaning Symposium�Track 2: Building Your Skills

Measuring On Farm Harvest Potential

Lisa K. Johnson, Lisa K. Johnson Consulting

Lynette Johnson, SOSA

Tom O’Donnell, EPA via Zoom

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Measuring On Farm Harvest Potential

Lisa K. Johnson, Ph.D.

National SARE Food Loss & Waste Program Manager,

Independent Consultant

Lynette Johnson

Executive Director

Society of St. Andrew

Tom O’Donnell, Ph.D. Sustainability Coordinator

US EPA

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Many estimates of food loss and waste don’t include the fresh, healthy, safe produce that is never even harvested in the US…

Images: Lisa K. Johnson

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Selling produce is dependent on market forces that are not controlled by growers.

Food loss happens on farms, it’s not because of a choice that the grower made.

Images: Lisa K. Johnson

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Because the market fluctuated… Over 166,000 pounds of high-quality kale became food loss in this 15-acre field.

Images: Lisa K. Johnson

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USDA, EPA and FDA, 2023

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July 4

July 11

July 14

July 24

July 31

Aug 4

Aug 8

7 dates

10 fields

3 farms

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Region 3 and Region 4 Grant Collaboration�Measuring Farm Food Loss

Tom O’Donnell, USEPA Region 3, Philadelphia

Dec 23, 2023, Draft National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and EPA 2021 Farm to Kitchen report indicate:

  • Data gaps …make it difficult to understand the extent …of food loss …
  • More precise estimates of FLW during primary production is needed
  • We need more help gathering data and amplifying it

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Eggplant

Tomato

Bell Pepper

Okra

Strawberry

Corn

Rutabaga

South Carolina

measurement

– in progress

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Low economic value, low environmental impact…

yet massive potential to solve social issues.

Images: Lisa K. Johnson

TN 6,792 lbs/acre

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Image: ReFED

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This is what we want to avoid!

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Lisa K. Johnson, Ph.D.

lisakjohnson4@gmail.com

www.lisakjohnson.com

Reach out!

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