Farm to Food Bank Program Helps Those in Need
At the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference there were almost 300 exhibitors from across the south. One of those exhibitors was Dustin Lard, the regional fresh produce source for the Georgia Food Bank Association’s Farm to Food Bank program. We sat down with Dustin to learn more about this program that helps provide fresh fruits and vegetables to those in need.
Created in 1985, the Georgia Food Bank Association (GFBA) is a membership association serving the eight regional food banks in Georgia, which collectively distribute more than 130 million pounds of food annually to 2,600 partner nonprofits with food assistance programs in all 159 counties throughout the state. The Association’s eight regional food banks and their more than 2,600 partner agencies make it one of the largest associations in the state of Georgia.
The Association was created in a statewide effort to support the food security of low-income and needy individuals, families and households, through their efforts and in support of their member food banks. Its role is to coordinate and maximize the efforts of member food banks in the State, enabling them to better provide a healthy and adequate food supply for people in need:
-Identify and facilitate the sharing of best practices
-Advocacy and Public Awareness about hunger issues and the role of food banks in combating hunger
-Seeking sources of funding, food and resources to meet the needs of the hungry through the Association and its member food banks
-Building alliances and other relationships that advance the mission of the Association and its members
The food banks are members of Feeding America, the national network of more than 200 food banks.