How this company is helping local food producers get food into the community

Where can you purhcase food these days? How can you help local farmers, restaurants and food retailers survive? These are the questions ripe.io team leader Hannah Leighton, a specialist in farming, wanted to answer. Working with the engineers at ripe.io, and leveraging her vast network of farmers and local restaurants in her local area of the Catskills New York, she was instrumental in building ripeCommunity, a directory of food businesses serving the local community during the COVID-19 crisis. The goal is to connect those providing food (restaurants, farms, farm businesses, grocery stores) to community members who need food and ingredients during this unprecedented time. Information is regularly updated by businesses so consumers have access to accurate hours, available products, and ordering instructions. Community members can also donate directly to their local food business, whether they are currently open or not.