Turning Surplus into Sustenance: State and Federal Funds Transform Pennsylvania’s Apple Bounty into Aid for Hungry Families

Pennsylvania ApplesCredit: Commonwealth Media Services

PEACH GLEN, PA — In the quiet orchards of Adams County, a $1 million state investment is turning surplus apples into a lifeline for the state’s food-insecure families. Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and Feeding Pennsylvania CEO Julie Bancroft visited the heart of Adams County’s apple country to witness the transformative process firsthand at Knouse Foods.

A bumper crop of apples in 2023 presented Pennsylvania’s apple growers with a challenge: how to prevent an abundance of fruit from going to waste. The Shapiro Administration stepped in with a tangible solution, investing $1 million of Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System (PASS) funds and $2 million of federal funds to convert the surplus into apple sauce and apple juice.

“Pennsylvania apple growers had a great year in 2023,” said Secretary Redding. “We were able to call on existing partnerships across the apple industry and Feeding Pennsylvania’s network, and devote the $1 million increase the PASS program received in the 2023-24 budget to getting nutritious Pennsylvania apple products onto the tables of hungry Pennsylvania families.”

The innovative PASS program reimburses farmers and agribusinesses for the costs of harvesting, processing, packaging, and transporting surplus food. This food is then distributed through Feeding Pennsylvania’s network of food banks and pantries, simultaneously reducing food waste and tackling hunger, while supporting Pennsylvania agriculture. In the 2022-23 fiscal year, PASS distributed more than four million pounds of food, and it’s projected to distribute over five million pounds in 2023-24.

Feeding America reports that over 1.2 million Pennsylvanians – including more than 325,000 children – are dealing with food insecurity. That equates to one in eight Pennsylvania children facing hunger.

“Apples are already the number one fresh fruit in the PASS program,” said Julie Bancroft, CEO of Feeding Pennsylvania. “This collaborative processing project exemplifies the responsiveness of PASS to Pennsylvania’s agricultural community and charitable food network.”

Pennsylvania is the nation’s fourth-largest apple producer and home to processing giants like Knouse Foods. The grower-owned cooperative is one of the nation’s largest food processors.

“When the opportunity was presented to use PA growers’ apples to make Musselman’s apple sauce, apple juice, and apple slices to feed Pennsylvanians through the Feeding Pennsylvania network, we said ‘YES!’” said Will Lower Jr., Knouse Board President.

In addition to the state funding, the Administration dedicated $2 million of the $6.8 million in federal funds the Agriculture Department received in 2023-24 through the USDA’s Local Food for Local Schools Cooperative Agreement Program. This investment will pay for sliced apples and apple sauce destined for schools in all 67 Pennsylvania counties. Nutritious Pennsylvania-grown apples will be on the menu for students who now receive universal free breakfast for the first time under the Shapiro Administration.

The initiative demonstrates how strategic partnerships and innovative use of resources can address multiple challenges simultaneously. It not only helps Pennsylvania’s farmers manage their surplus and maintain profitability but also provides nutritious food to the state’s vulnerable populations, thus tackling food insecurity head-on.

Feeding the hungry with surplus produce is a win-win solution that other states might consider emulating. As Pennsylvania leads the way, the nation watches, taking notes on how to turn a potential waste problem into a lifeline for those in need. The story unfolding in Peach Glen’s apple orchards may just be the beginning of an agricultural revolution aimed at eradicating hunger.

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