An Opportunity Hidden in Plain Sight: Broccoli Byproducts

In our journey to nurture wholesome produce and increase access to nutritious locally grown products, we stumbled upon an opportunity hidden in plain sight: broccoli byproducts. As we processed our beloved broccoli, we noticed the generation of dust and stalks—the remnants of our frozen floretting system. Instead of seeing waste, we dug into our food banking roots and saw pure potential for something extraordinary.

At the core, Harvesting Good was born from resourcefulness and innovation, so why stop once we have a product on the shelves!? Just as a food bank rescues surplus food and redistributes it to those in need, we repurpose broccoli byproducts into nutritious delights that nourish.

In the hands of our innovative partner, Harvest Maine, too-small broccoli florets become broccomole. “We are a business that’s taking locally grown veggie seconds, products that are slipping through the cracks of the food system and turning them into snacks,” stated Matt Chappell co-owner of Harvest Maine, the flavorful dip producer using Harvesting Good in their broccomole dip. “Before we started our business, I met with Matt Chin, president of Harvesting Good. We visited the facility and looked at all the byproducts of the broccoli floret process, and it was at that point that we found these little baby florets that were essentially not going to get used. And they were perfect for our recipe. Really ideal! Not only from a flavor standpoint, but the effort had already gone into freezing and packing it. All of those things, blanching it, which is a big part of our processing that we’re now able to leapfrog over, which is extremely valuable to us.”

Our humble broccoli stalks also find new purpose in soups, stews, and stir-fries, adding depth and nutrition to every dish. But perhaps the most beautiful part of our story is the ripple effect it creates. As we embrace the philosophy of waste reduction, we hope to inspire others to do the same. Together, we can create and support a culture of sustainability and responsibility that values ingenuity, community, and the power of small actions to make a big impact.

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