Senate Agriculture Chair Jen Metzger Applauds Extension of Farm to Food Bank Program, Nourish NY

I applaud the Governor's decision today to extend the Nourish NY program, which allocates State food assistance funds to food banks for the direct purchase of products from local farms. The program is a double-win, providing nutritious foods to food insecure households while supporting New York farms during this challenging time. Many farmers, especially dairy farmers, have been hit hard by the slowdown in demand from schools and the restaurant industry, and Nourish NY has been a lifeline for them. With food insecurity continuing to grow, I've been advocating with the Governor's office to extend the program beyond the October 31 deadline, and would like to see it continue as long as there is a need for it. No one should go hungry in a state that produces such an abundance of high-quality food.”

In June, Senator Metzger (SD-42) introduced a bill (S8504) that would double funding for the state's farm to food bank program, Nourish NY, using $25 million of unallocated funding from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020 or other future federal stimulus funding.

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