Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
05/19/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/19/2026 12:55
Shapiro Administration and Feeding Pennsylvania Celebrate a Decade-Long Partnership with Farmers to Fight Food Insecurity in Our Communities through the Pennsylvania[...]
May 19, 2026 - Morgantown, PA
Shapiro Administration and Feeding Pennsylvania Celebrate a Decade-Long Partnership with Farmers to Fight Food Insecurity in Our Communities through the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System
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. PASS is just one more way the Shapiro Administration is creating opportunities for Pennsylvania families and the farmers who feed them to thrive."
Speakers Include:
Jay Worrall, President, Helping Harvest
Julie Bancroft, CEO, Feeding PA
Ed Weaver, President, Weaver's Orchard
Senator Juddy Schwank
Russell Redding, Secretary of Agriculture
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