Wednesday, May 15, 2013

FEED: Waste Not, Want Not


http://www.marketwatch.com/story/kroger-unveils-a-clean-energy-production-system-powered-by-food-waste-2013-05-15

I am so excited about this company...still!  It's been over two years since I learned about FEED, but for many May 15, 2013 will be the first time they hear about this exciting Boston-based company "FEED Resource Recovery".  Flying under the radar for the last five years, I met the Founders almost three years ago as they were just entering into a most promising relationship with one of the nation's largest grocery chains. The time had come to make a critical technical hire, and it had to be the perfect match.  In an effort to truly understand the game-changing technology FEED was proposing, I signed an NDA, posed with a fake mustache for the amusement of all, and began diligently researching the industry and marketplace.  It didn't take long to realize this was a delicate technology, a niche industry, a complex market, and a very challenging search.  A needle-in-a-haystack, next-to-impossible search.  In other words, for me, a PERFECT opportunity!

Within a few weeks a pipeline of very talented and qualified candidates was developed.  We had a shortlist in no time, and from that list, we had identified and hired the ideal person to commission and oversee the day-to-day operations of the first pilot plant in Southern California.  A Senior Engineer with experience commissioning and running alternative energy power plants, with a degree in Chemistry AND an MBA in Operations and Technology Management...living on the West Coast.  How does it get any better than that?  It doesn't.  This was, indeed, the ideal match.

Partnering with this team has been an incredibly rewarding experience.  I have enjoyed every moment working with these smart, dedicated and down-to-earth visionaries.  I share their enthusiasm and passion for re-purposing one of our most precious resources.  If you ask my children what is Mom's number one pet-peeve?  They would answer quite concretely "wasting food and water".  I have an almost zero tolerance for both (I spoil my kids with high quality foods, and nothing makes me crazier then finding out half a sandwich was tossed out because someone didn't feel like having peanut butter and jelly that day...even though he requested it!).

Ok, so maybe I'm an idealist.  But you sort of have to be if you are supporting break-through technologies in the green industry. I don't expect perfection, but I advocate loudly for doing the best we can with what we know, and what we have.  We know millions worldwide go hungry every day.  We know millions of dollars in organics and other food products are wasted every year.  We know we can't solve the first problem today.  But I can sleep better knowing that we now have a solution to the second problem...and it works like a dream.


 





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