California Farmers, Food Banks Form Partnership As Produce Demand Dips But Hunger Spikes
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Gov. Gavin Newsom highlighted on Wednesday a new public/private partnership of farmers and food banks that aims to help hungry Californians amid the coronavirus crisis.
Called California's Farm to Family Program, food banks around the state will be getting 21 million pounds of fresh crops from local farmers come May.
Newsom noted at his daily press conference on Wednesday how farmers have been struggling with demand for their produce going down while food banks have seen need spike.
The governor cited numbers showing farms having about a 50 percent reduction in demand.
"It's a jaw-dropping reduction in demand," Newsom said. "They have excess produce, they have excess commodities that they simply - in many respects to those perishable items, some of them - they cannot distribute."
More than 120 farmers and about 40 food banks across 58 counties are already part of the partnership.
Newsom said the ultimate goal is to provide 21 million pounds of fresh produce on a monthly basis.
The program will be getting $3.225 million in federal and private funding, Newsom said.
Newsom also highlighted two other initiatives on Wednesday that aim to help needy Californians. The governor announced that the state's food assistance program, known as CalFresh, will now be letting recipients use their EBT card to buy items online.
Only Amazon and Walmart will be participating at this point, but Newsom said he'll make an announcement when more stores join up.
As part of the CARES Act, Newsom also noted how families who are struggling without school meals for their children can now receive an extra $365 under the new Pandemic EBT program.
