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Devon DeBari ’18 Forges Link in Farm-to-Food Bank Chain

This spring, with college students forced to stay in, Devon DeBari ’18 reached out. “After NYU’s campus closed in response to the pandemic, I found myself at home with free time to fill and the urge to make a positive impact to alleviate some of the ramifications of the COVID-19 crisis,” she explains. “Along with students across the country, I have helped launch the FarmLink Project, a nonprofit grassroots movement that transports surplus produce from farms to food banks in need while restoring the jobs of farmers and truckers.”

Student-run and 100% volunteer, FarmLink has a simple goal—to eliminate food waste while feeding families. It was started by a handful of college students who were dismayed that produce, dairy, and other farmed food intended for shuttered restaurants, hotels, and schools were being destroyed while food banks were seeing unprecedented demand. With the first donations they solicited, they were able to buy and deliver 10,000 eggs, and then 50,000 onions. As of late June, FarmLink has raised nearly $1 million (all for farms and drivers) and gotten 4 million pounds of food to food banks in 28 states.

The organization has been featured by the New York Times, Washington Post, ABC, and Fox News, but Devon and others are working hard to get the word out still further. She is a member of the media and marketing team, overseeing merchandise development and leading PR initiatives.

To learn more about the FarmLink Project or to contribute, visit The FarmLink Project.

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