FSA volunteers gleened pounds of squash and zucchini to deliver to food pantries across New Jersey.
It was a beautiful breezy morning on Aug. 10 when USDA employees from offices around the Garden State met at Sun Valley Orchards in Swedesboro, N.J., to help glean crops that will feed more than 7,000 people around the state.
With a bit of instruction from Russ Marino, owner of Sun Valley Orchards and an FSA state committee chairperson, along with workers from Farmers Against Hunger, the volunteers fanned out across nearly 30 acres of yellow squash and zucchini.
Farmers Against Hunger filled two trucks, while 4,000 pounds of gleaned squash, added to Russ Marino’s personal donation of 600 pounds of eggplant and 4,800 pounds of pickling cukes. Plus, the 1,360 pounds of fresh sweet corn donated by FNS Deputy Regional Administrator Diana Limbacher, NJ-NASS Director Troy Joshua, NRCS State Conservationist Don Pettit, FSA State Director Paul Hlubik, and RD State Director Howard Henderson, combined to provide Farmers Against Hunger with 10,760 pounds of produce to distribute to local food banks.
“This was a great example of five USDA agencies in New Jersey working together for a worthy cause. This gleaning project exceeded our wildest expectations. What a tremendous success,” said Howard Henderson of RD.
Farm Service Agency (FSA), Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), National Agricultural Statistics (NASS), Rural Development (RD) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) employees have been collecting food throughout the summer for local food pantries as part of the USDA Feds Feed Families campaign. The Campaign goal for New Jersey was set at 1,072 pounds. Thanks to Sun Valley Orchards they did.
“I knew our New Jersey USDA employees could meet and exceed New Jersey’s goals for the campaign with this effort,” said Paul J. Hlubik of FSA.
Farmers Against Hunger works with over 50 farms that donate to the program and 60 recipient organizations, including food pantries, community organizations, churches, and state food banks. The organization collects and distributes between 1.2 and 1.5 million pounds of produce annually, feeding about 7,000 people weekly.
