Mildly Infuriating

I take it the most pressing issue right now is cooling. If that is right, you might have yet another avenue to explore: Ask facilities with cooling needs if you can store one or two pallets there. I’m thinking schools, (yet again) restaurants, ice cream parlors, ice skating rinks (not sure how they work exactly – is the whole building cooled or just the rink itself?), butchers. You could ask an outdoor gear shop (I mean a place where skis and winter jackets etc. are sold) if they know of a place where one can test jackets. They might know a cool place, too.

Trade it to a restaurant in exchange for stuff they might have you actually want. Shouldn't be hard to move tomato and onion

My workplace used to donate all its leftover food to a local meal service charity, daily. But they refused to take fresh fruits and vegetables because they just spoil too fast. It was sad because those are the foods people need the most but they are logistically very difficult to deliver, as you are witnessing.

it would be kinda cool if food panties could also pickle + can things

Contract mutual aid orgs they well come get it

This happens ( was exposed) at our local foodbank. (London, UK)

GOOD! Spending money on that is SOCIALISM! Is would MUCH Rather my Tax Dollars go into Elon Musks BANK ACCOUNT!

I worked in the produce department at Jewel-Osco for some time. It was when I peaked in life. We never gave food away to anyone. It was either sold or found its way into the trash compactor. Kinda sad to waste so much food. But I was so lost in the produce sauce that I couldnt even process it

You might try contacting restaurants and see if they have the capacity to cook ketchup (or something else with a longer shelf life) from the tomatoes. Technically, everybody can do that. I’m thinking of restaurants because of their bigger pots.

Speaking of restaurants: They might have a food dehydrator that can process some of the cauliflower, as well.

For the watermelons you might try to contact a local vintner. They may be able to process them into wine and/or liquor.

I work for a produce delivery company as a courier and yeah fresh produce is ass for storage and transit. I'm legit thinking about jury rigging a small air conditioner into the back of my truck for summer cooling.

Have you seen if there's any way for your foodbank to do canning?

Second the pickling idea. Read a similar story that a food bank had a lot of excess fresh material. Thry had set up production through a commercial food processing site, had put labels on them, and were selling them online and at farmer's markets. The proceeds were going back to the food bank. Zero wastage. They were also making things like sauerkraut, kimchee, and kombucha. Watermelon can also be juiced and the rinds pickled.

I imagine for food safety and liability reasons, you wouldn't want to do it in someone's kitchen. Plus, licensing fees. But you have a great story to tell (good health, zero waste, help food bank).

Quick search since you mentioned NM: https://www.newmexicofma.org/food_processing_permits.php