Staff reports

The Dutchess Putnam Westchester (DPW) County Farm Bureau was recently recognized by the New York State Farm Bureau for its participation with FeedHV, a regionalized food rescue network.

FeedHV is a program of Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Development Corporation (HVADC) that is funded through the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley.

Food rescue is a practice of connecting edible food that would otherwise go to waste from restaurants, grocery stores, produce markets, farms or dining facilities, and distributing it to local emergency food programs, such as food pantries and soup kitchens.

The Farm Bureau’s Promotion amd Education Committee acknowledged the DPW County Farm Bureau and thanked its members who donate excess farm food and promote FeedHV among fellow farms. The award included $200 to the County Farm Bureau, which has more than 350 farming members.

“DPW Farm Bureau encouraged our farming members to use FeedHV rather than throwing away foods they worked so hard to grow and harvest,” Mark Adams, of Mark Adams Greenhouses, who recently retired as DPW president, said in a written release. “We want to continue spreading the word about FeedHV and emphasize the importance of food recovery. It is very satisfying to know that our donations of imperfect produce are still being maximized by being processed into soups and stews.”

FeedHV links food donors of prepared but unserved food and fresh produce to nonprofit organizations with food assistance programs through the efforts of a network of volunteers who transport, harvest and process donated food. Farms within the network are able to donate to food rescues in their region utilizing a software tracking system, and may receive federal and state tax credits for their donations.

Food rescue groups within the FeedHV network, such as Second Chance Food Rescue and Rescuing Leftover Cuisine, recover food from farms and farmers markets in Dutchess and Putnam counties. The group also harvests any remaining fruits or vegetables left on trees or in fields, and processes damaged or overabundant produce into soups, sauces and stews, which are then distributed, according to the release.

For more information, visit www.FeedHV.org

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