The New York State Legislature voted to make NOURISH NEW YORK (NYS Senate Bill S4892A), the state’s farm to food bank/pantry initiative, a permanent state program. This pandemic-initiative provides funding to New York’s food banks and emergency food providers (such as Catholic parish food pantries and other community food pantries) for the direct purchase of New York-produced fruit, vegetables and dairy products to feed those in need. To-date, food banks have purchased and passed through to food pantries, 21 million pounds of agricultural products from New York farms which fed 1.3 million food-insecure families across the state. NOURISH NEW YORK invests in a statewide food system that expands market opportunities for farmers, eliminates food waste, and makes sure no New Yorker goes hungry.
Our advocacy on Diocesan Public Policy Weekend (February 2021) helped make the NOURISH NEW YORK program permanent, but legislative leaders never sent the bill to the Governor for signature!
