Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and Feeding Pennsylvania celebrated a decade-long partnership supplying families in need with fresh, high-quality food, and giving Pennsylvania farmers a reliable market for their surplus crops through the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System (PASS).
Since 2016, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has worked through PASS to increase food security and reduce food waste, providing $31.9 million to Feeding Pennsylvania’s network of food banks to buy 38.3 million pounds of nutritious surplus food from Pennsylvania farmers. PASS dollars cover harvesting, processing, transportation, and packaging costs for top quality items that otherwise go to waste. In the last decade, the PASS partnership has united Pennsylvania’s farmers, food banks, and state government in serving more than 31.7 million meals to 7.9 million households in need across Pennsylvania.
“Pennsylvania farmers are great at what they do. We need our farmers to stay in business. And we need to feed the 1.7 million Pennsylvanians who struggle with hunger,” Secretary Redding said. “For 10 years, PASS has been a highly effective tool for bridging that gap between abundance and need — by multiplying the work our farmers and food banks do every day to help feed our neighbors.”
Weaver’s Orchard in Morgantown hosted the celebration. The family business founded in 1932 has been a 10-year PASS partner, providing their surplus fruit crops to Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank. Funded by PASS dollars, Weaver’s fruit ends up on the tables of area families in need.
“Weaver’s Orchard is privileged to be located in a great fruit-growing area of Berks County and we are thankful we can contribute to the nutritional needs of the community through the Helping Harvest Food Bank system,” said Ed Weaver, president of Weaver’s Orchard. “The PASS program has provided a valuable resource by funding the harvest, container, and transportation costs for the surplus produce we have at times throughout the year. It is rewarding to us as a family to know that we can bless others with some of our produce each season.”
“Ten years of the PASS program means ten years of Pennsylvania farmers and food banks working together to make sure fresh, nutritious food reaches the people who need it most. Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank President and Feeding Pennsylvania Board Chair Jay Worrall said.
According to Feeding Pennsylvania — a nonprofit leader working through agricultural partnerships, food provision, advocacy, and nutrition education to fight hunger — one in eight Pennsylvanians struggle with hunger.
“PASS has become one of Pennsylvania’s most effective examples of how agriculture and hunger relief can work hand in hand,” said Feeding Pennsylvania CEO Julie Bancroft. “Over the past ten years, the program has helped support farmers, strengthen local economies, and provide fresh local produce, protein, and dairy to Pennsylvanians experiencing food insecurity. As the need for food assistance remains high, continued investment in programs like PASS will be critical to ensuring both our agricultural communities and our neighbors can thrive.”
