Improving Meal Kit Sustainability for Vulnerable Groups

Katherine Dollar's Research with High Desert Food & Farm Alliance

Industry: Food and Beverage Manufacturing
Project Type: Food Waste Prevention
Location: Bend, OR
Major/University: Oregon State University, B.S. Marketing & Sustainability; Minor in Supply Chain and Logistics Management

Summary

Katherine aided High Desert Food and Farm Alliance (HDFFA) by creating frameworks to evaluate vendor sustainability, conducting a food waste study of the Fresh Harvest Kit program, and implementing food storage and composting outreach for customers and local farmers.

Company Background

High Desert Food and Farm Alliance logo showing the state of Oregon in green and a plant.

The High Desert Food & Farm Alliance (HDFFA), based in Bend, Oregon, is a nonprofit working to improve food security and promote sustainable food systems in Central Oregon. Through programs like Fresh Harvest Kits, Veggie Rx, and Shuwiyasha Food Sovereignty, HDFFA supports residents in need by providing meal kits that include fresh food from local farmers and grocers.

With a small team and strong volunteer support, HDFFA partners with farmers, food banks, and community members to build a resilient local food system. They also support farmers and ranchers through mentorships, efficiency grants, workshops, and a local producer directory—strengthening both food access and regional agriculture.

 

Project Description

One of the High Desert Food and Farm Alliance's projects, the Fresh Harvest Kit, provides meal kits to vulnerable populations, curated with recipes, spices, and produce sourced directly from local farmers. Katherine focused her work on waste reduction by estimating food waste more accurately, offering education and support for proper composting, reducing packaging emissions, and localizing the sourcing of dry goods included in the Fresh Harvest Kit. 

Katherine recommended: 

  • Switching from recycled plastic to recycled paper bags.
  • Built outreach tools for composting aimed at farmers and Fresh Harvest Kit (FHK) recipients.
  • Pushed for local sourcing of spices and ingredients to cut down on emissions and support local businesses.
  • Promoted food waste disposal into yard debris bins instead of trash.
  • Launched composting outreach for HDFFA farmers to support circular farming.
  • Ran an in-home food waste study with FHK recipients to spot waste reduction opportunities.

Estimated Annual Reductions

Katherine's recommendations could have the following annual impacts:

  

5 metric tons

Reduced CO2 Emissions