Family of New Paltz is one of many food distribution centers located in the Hudson Valley. In nearly two decades of work with the Harvest for All Program, New York-based farms have donated approximately 127 million pounds of food to support the work by the regional food banks in New York state. That translates to an estimated 100 million meals.
New York Farm Bureau members donated nearly 6.4 million pounds of food to regional food banks across the state last year.
Through the Harvest for All program, a nationwide annual farm donation program, Farm Bureau members distributed the donation among 10 Feeding America food banks throughout the state.
The number was announced this month at the annual American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers and Ranchers Conference in Jacksonville, FL.
It was the second highest donation total in the country for 2022, behind Florida.
The New York Farm Bureau was awarded a $250 grant for its effort which will be donated to Feeding New York State.
“Farm donations are at the heart of our work,” said Dan Egan, the executive director of Feeding New York State. “Our food bank community is deeply grateful to New York’s generous farmers for their donations of top-quality, healthy food.”
In nearly two decades of work with the Harvest for All Program, New York-based farms have donated approximately 127 million pounds of food to support the work by the regional food banks in New York State. That translates to an estimated 100 million meals.
“New York’s farmers have long prioritized helping their communities and people in need all across the state,” said Christina Kohler, chair of the New York Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers. “We look forward to building a stronger food system in the state to make sure no New Yorker goes hungry. ”
According to the most updated statistics of Feeding America, 1,882,580 people are facing hunger in New York state, and of them 596,060 are children. For every 10 adults in New York, one is facing food insecurity; For every seven children, one is faced with the same problem.
The number of people who didn’t have enough to eat statewide soared to 6.158 million in April of 2020 during the pandemic, but dropped to about 2.715 million by September of 2021, according to non profit organization Hunger Free America based in New York City, citing a U.S. Census Household Pulse data analyzed by the report.
