366. The Ugly Company’s Ben Moore on tackling food waste, innovating for consumer health + leading to serve

podcast.agrinovusindiana.com

Agbioscience

This weekly podcast dives into the agbioscience sector, where agriculture, life sciences innovation and cutting-edge technology converge. Agbioscience is an in-depth conversation with leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs across food, animal health. pl...

The USDA estimates that between 30-40% of the US food supply is wasted every year – that’s over 133 BILLION pounds. One farmer, turned soldier, turned entrepreneur is tackling that market. Ben Moore, founder of The Ugly Company, joins us to talk to fruit. We get into:   Ben’s connection to Indiana and how a farmer went on to create a trucking company that became The Ugly Company as it is today  How damaged fruit with scars or other cosmetic issues because big business for Ben – The Ugly Company can now be found on store shelves of Target, Sam’s Club, Walmart and Whole Foods  The Ugly Company’s goal to prevent food waste, where they are at in that target and how they hope to accelerate that goal in the future  How the fruit becomes the product on shelves – The Ugly Process, if you will  Ben’s advice for aspiring farmers, business owners and entrepreneurs and lessons he’s learned from leading his business and his time serving in the US Army  What service looks like to him versus what it maybe looked like as a 22-year-old soldier  What’s ahead for The Ugly Company – including further distribution and availability in schools