(The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker is weighing legislation that would transform the Illinois Farm to Food Bank pilot program into a permanent state operation.
Over the last two years, authorities have used the program to reduce food waste and stock food bank inventories across the state with fresh, healthy food directly from farmers.
House Bill 2879 now seeks to make the program a permanent fixture, establishing the Illinois Farm to Food Bank Program within the Department of Human Services (DHS), all with a goal of increasing the reach of nutritious, locally grown, raised or processed foods for the state’s emergency food system.
Administered by the Feeding Illinois program, Farm to Food Bank was launched in 2021 with grant funding from the USDA. In addition to directly connecting food banks with farmers, the program also provides a secondary market for products that might be left in the field or trees, or blemished products.
“We have to continue advocating to keep the dollars in the state budget, but after so many years to be able to realistically see the finish line is amazing,” Feeding Illinois Executive Director Stephen Ericson told FarmWeek. “Fingers crossed we break the tape this year and, once we do, there will be a collective sigh of relief and joy – at least until next year. We know our partners on this journey, such as Illinois Farm Bureau, are also excited, which makes our efforts and this achievement even more rewarding.”
Using USDA funding, program organizers were able to help defray some of the cost farmers typically incur in making sizeable food pantry donations by reimbursing them for their picking and pack-out (PPO) costs, as well as any expense associated with harvesting, packaging and transporting the food.
IFB local foods program manager Raghela Scavuzzo said the multi-prong approach has aided large and small farms alike in becoming more sustainable.
“Many of our farms through our feasibility study stated they were facing lost revenue from surplus production or product standards,” he said. “Moreover, they wanted to donate but often found barriers to connecting to donation sites. Our farmers are overjoyed to participate in this project. They are recovering some lost revenue, reducing food waste and helping feed their communities.
Scavuzzo said the best may still be yet to come.
“Farmers want to feed families and Farm to Food Bank provides more opportunity to do that,” he added. “There are more farms asking to participate in this program than we have had in funding through the pilot program. We hope a state-funded program creates long-term relationships with farms and food banks. Through this state program, farmers, food banks and communities have the ability to provide Illinois-grown foods to everyone.”
Under the legislation being proposed, the DHS secretary will name a nonprofit entity from Illinois’ emergency food system to administer the program and an advisory council will also be formed.
