New York State Works With Local Farmers to Provide Fresh Produce for Food Pantry

Panelists gathered at the Regional Food Bank’s Orange County Distribution Center to discuss cooperation between farmers and food banks.

Panelists (L–R) Gibson Durnford, Tom Nardacci, Richard Ball, Mira Miller, and Jeff Crist at the Orange County Distribution Center in Montgomery, N.Y., on April 9, 2026. Oliver Mantyk/The Epoch Times

MIDDLETOWN, N.Y.—Programs such as Nourish New York are helping local farmers connect their fresh produce to consumers through food banks such as the Regional Food Bank, local officials say, with the arrangements benefiting both farmers and the people who are served by food banks.

The Regional Food Bank held a five-person panel, focused on cooperation between agriculture and food charities, at its Orange County Distribution Center in the town of Montgomery on April 9. The panel was moderated by New York State Department of Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball, and included Regional Food Bank CEO Tom Nardacci and local farmers Mira Miller, Gibson Durnford, and Jeff Crist.