App helps users find fruit and veg nearby that’s just turned ripe

Australia's RipeNearMe is enabling local growers to share their excess fruit and vegetables, notifying neighbors of the best time to pick up the produce in its prime.

Supermarket groceries spend weeks or even months being stored and transported before arriving on the shelf, and they’re often picked well before they’re ripe because of this. Companies such as FreshRealm have aimed to improve on this, promising food from farm to table in around two days by directly connecting individual producers and consumers through the US postal system. Now a platform from Australia called RipeNearMe is enabling local growers to share their excess fruit and vegetables, notifying neighbors of the best time to pick up the produce in its prime.

Those with veg beds, allotments or fruit trees — particularly those in the city — can register their growing projects and whether any spare goods will be free or priced. Growers can post updates to indicate the progress of harvests and neighbors can subscribe to remain in the loop. Fruit and veg in the process of growing is marked with a green tag which turns red when the produce is at its peak. Consumers can then arrange to pick up the ultra-fresh goods or have them delivered by communicating directly with the local residents that farmed them. As well as enjoying better quality food, users support their local community and avoid the carbon emissions associated with long haul food transportation.

Watch the video below to learn more about RipeNearMe:

Are there other ways that residents can be more closely connected with the food being produced in their nearby area?