A Monrovia man has launched a website to help reduce the amount of wasted fruit from local trees.

In July, Jia Cheng Li developed Fresh Homegrown, a place to "get produce from people you know."

The website allows neighbors to give away or sell fruit to each other. Users simply name their price, pay online, and choose a place to meet.

Li started the site after growing frustrated about wasted lemons in his backyard. He tried to give away at least 200 pounds of lemons, and still many rotted away.

“There’s too much. They produce too much,” said Li.  

The software engineer has advertised on the social media site Nextdoor to encourage his neighbors to sell their fruit. More than a dozen have signed up so far, and he continues to recruit homeowners. 

“The goal is to eliminate the waste of all these healthy, fresh fruits,” Li explained.

According to the National Resources Defense Council, 40 percent of food is wasted across the United States.  

Li hopes his efforts will help change that.