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Natural Awakenings Westchester / Putnam / Dutchess New York

FeedHV Uses Freezer Crisis to Help the Hungry

FeedHV—a regional food rescue and harvest network that operates in seven Hudson Valley counties, including Dutchess and Putnam—has turned adversity into an opportunity to feed neighbors in need. In partnership with Scenic Hudson, it’s purchasing frozen products from local food distributor Hudson Harvest at a reduced cost and will donate them to nine local food-assistance programs. 

Administered by Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Development Corporation (HVADC), FeedHV links donors of prepared but unserved food and fresh produce with nonprofits and food-assistance programs. Among the donors are restaurants, farms, food makers, stores, hospitals and universities. The food-assistance programs include food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters. 
Last fall several area small farmers were notified that their freezer storage facility in Columbia County would be closing, so they reached out to Hudson Harvest and to HVADC to find new cooling storage. HVADC coordinated the effort through FeedHV to help Hudson Harvest identify excess products in their freezers for distribution to food-assistance agencies. 

The FeedHV purchase, made possible by a donation from Scenic Hudson, allowed Harvest Hudson to free up approximately 15 pallets of space in its freezer facility in Athens, making room for 10 small farmers who were displaced by the closing of their prior facility. More than 4,550 pounds of locally produced frozen products—including turkey, goose, pork, salmon, beef, venison, lamb, baked goods, prepared rice, and vegetables and fruits—have been delivered to the receiving agencies.

For more info about FeedHV, or to make a donation, visit FeedHV.org