The Nourish New York program has distributed 100 million meals to families across the state. The initiative, which was launched as an emergency relief program during the pandemic, connects families in need across the state with surplus agricultural products grown by New York farmers. Governor Kathy Hochul codified the program into state law in November 2021. T
“Over the last four years, the impact of Nourish New York has skyrocketed, distributing more than 100 million meals to those facing food insecurity while also supporting New York’s farms,” Governor Hochul said. “There’s no better time to share this incredible milestone and reaffirm my commitment to providing critical support to those in need than during the holiday season, and I look forward to seeing even more New Yorkers benefit from this critical initiative in the years to come.”
The Nourish New York initiative reroutes New York’s surplus agricultural products to the populations who need them most through the state’s food banks. The program, which was launched in May 2020 as an emergency relief program during the COVID-19 pandemic, also provided much-needed support for the food producers and farmers who lost markets due to the pandemic by allowing the state’s food banks to buy agricultural products directly from New York farmers and food processors. The program provides the funding directly to the state’s emergency food providers to help them buy surplus products from the state’s farmers and producers and distribute them to New York consumers, many of whom were thrown into financial crisis by the COVID-19 outbreak, at drive-through food distributions, and through food box and school meal programs. In November 2021, Governor Hochul signed legislation codifying the Nourish New York program permanently in state law.
Since the program’s launch in May 2020, a total of more than $175 million has been committed to Nourish NY. Through this multi-agency effort and nine rounds of the program, New York’s food banks have purchased over 118 million pounds of New York food products, which equates to over 100 million meals distributed to families in need and positively impacting 4,472 farms and agribusinesses across the state, many of which lost markets for their products during the pandemic.
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