Misfits Market

Misfits Market is dedicated to making affordable, high-quality food more accessible while helping break the cycle of food waste. We work directly with farmers and makers to rescue organic produce and other grocery items that might otherwise go to waste, then deliver them to your door—all while passing the savings on to you. Every Misfits Market box you order benefits farmers, helps prevent food waste, and ultimately helps save our environment.

We start by finding inefficiencies in the food system
This distressing fact is really what started it all: Almost a third of what’s grown in the U.S. never gets harvested because it doesn’t meet the superficial standards of a traditional grocery store. Because we work closely with farmers and food makers, we know just how much food is going to waste every single day. And yet, there are millions of food-insecure households in the U.S.

By being committed to fighting food waste, we’ve unlocked a new way to make healthy, quality food more affordable for more people. We’re not doing it alone, though. Our direct relationships with organic farmers and sustainably minded makers play a big part.

How we fight food waste
Three years ago, when we launched as a four-person team based in Philadelphia, we were hyper-focused (and still are) on rescuing “misfit” produce (hence the name and all.) We take in high-quality organic produce that sometimes looks a little different. Fruits and veggies that are too big, too small, or just sort of funny-looking. Oftentimes, though, it’s produce that’s simply considered “surplus.”

Today, our scope has expanded to include other items you would find in a regular grocery store: cooking supplies, pantry staples, and much more. Similar to how we partner with farmers, we also work with food makers to reduce their waste. We take in their excess inventory—ranging from surplus to out-of-date packaging to short-dated items. (Short-dated means goods stamped with a “best-by” date that’s fewer than 6 weeks out.)