New Jersey Agricultural Society
609-462-9691
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      • Recipes for Cool-Season Vegetables
    • Leadership Development Program >
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  • Events
    • Gala 2020
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    • Christmas Tree Season
  • Awards
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    • 2019 Gold Medallion Award
    • 2019 President's Award
    • 2019 Century Farm Award
    • 2019 Phillip Alampi Industry Marketing Award
    • 2019 Tony Russo Farmers Marketing Award
    • 2019 Neil Robson Farmers Against Hunger Award
    • 2020 Teacher of the Year
  • Get Involved
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    • Now Hiring: Gleaning Coordinator
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Connecting Healthy Food from Farms to Families


Our Mission:
  • To reduce food waste, by helping farmers and wholesalers throughout New Jersey share their surplus produce with those in need
  • To reduce food insecurity, by ensuring access to fresh and healthy produce for every family in New Jersey

With all of the time and effort that goes into growing a single item of produce, no farmer wants to see their crops go to waste. In the event that certain items cannot be sold for profit, most farmers would love to donate to a local food pantry or soup kitchen. However, in the midst of a busy season at a small-scale farm, it can be hard to allocate limited resources to harvesting, storing, and transporting produce, all for a non-paying destination. Most of the recipient non-profit groups also lack access to the necessary resources to collect and transport these perishable goods.

Here is where Farmers Against Hunger (FAH) enters the picture. Since the purchase of our first truck in 1996, FAH has been working behind-the-scenes as a bridge between New Jersey's agricultural sector and hunger relief organizations. When farmers throughout the state call us with produce to share, whether boxed and ready to go, or still out in the fields, we are standing by with one of our iconic trucks. With the support of our volunteers, we go out to harvest the surplus crops (a process termed "gleaning"), and take it back to our cooler for inventory and storage. Particularly during the off-season, we supplement our stock with produce donations from various grocery stores and wholesalers. We then
 distribute the produce among a network of NJ food banks, churches, and other groups engaged in feeding their communities.

With the COVID-19 pandemic driving unemployment and food insecurity statewide, the mission of Farmers Against Hunger is more important than ever. In addition to our regular operations, we are collaborating with various government officials and other partners to host pop-up food distribution events at locations across the state.
​Click to read our 2020 Annual Report, out now!

Learn More...

Produce Donors
Produce Recipients
Volunteer to Glean
Cooking & Nutrition

Contact Re: General Info & Gleaning
Elyse Yerrapathruni
Director of Programming & Outreach
​(215) 510-8112
fahvolunteer@gmail.com
Contact Re: Produce Donations & Distribution
Brian Strumfels
Director of Operations
(609) 519-7745 
bstrumfels@gmail.com

Farmers Against Hunger: In the News

​Current Favorites:
  • "Wedding planners, hunters and more are pivoting businesses to help those facing hunger" (8.21.20, Today.com)
  • "Giving Tree: Volunteers glean to support food-insecure families" (8.20.20, WHYY, 'You Outta Know')
  • "Meet the gleaners, combing farm fields to feed the newly hungry" (7.6.20, New York Times)
  • "Free food offer response overwhelming, volunteers serve hundreds" (6.26.20, Vineland Daily Journal)
  • "Helping feed NJ’s hungry during the current crisis" (5.26.20, Produce News)
  • "Food Bank of South Jersey helps those in need during COVID-19 crisis" (5.11.20, Fox29)
  • "Families in need receive free produce from Camden pop-up market amid COVID-19"  (4.26.20, 6ABC)
  • "Bordentown free farm market serves fresh produce to hundreds" (4.13.20. Burlington County Times)
  • "Growing Up Hungry: How volunteers feed thousands of hungry South Jersey children with just leftovers" (8.28.16, The Press of Atlantic City)
  • ​"The gardener state: On the road against hunger" (7.21.16, Daily Record / Home News Tribune)
  • "Growing program gleans produce for hungry" (9.18.14, Courier News)
  • "A growing need / Farmers Against Hunger: program helps the state's working poor" (10.4.13, Courier News)
  • "Produce destined to feed the hungry"  (10.25.12, Home News Tribune)​
  • "Volunteers' harvest meets a growing need"  (6.4.10, Home News Tribune)​

From the Archives:
  • "How to help Farmers Against Hunger" (10.25.20, My Central Jersey)
  • "Burlington County partners with nonprofits to distribute food to families struggling during the pandemic" (8.12.20, Central Jersey)
  • "750 boxes of food distributed to community​ by law enforcement and farmers" (8.12.20, The Coaster)
  • "Farmers Against Hunger: More heroes in the pandemic" (5.31.20, Tap Into)
  • "South Jersey food handout highlights growing demand from the newly unemployed" (5.11.20, NJ Spotlight News)
  • "New Jersey officials distributing free produce in Camden Saturday" (4.25.20, KYW Radio)
  • "Camden to offer fresh produce for families affected by pandemic" (4.24.20, Tap Into)
  • "Free farmers market in Bordentown considered a success" (4.15.20, Central Jersey)
  • "Free farmers market in Bordentown Saturday, April 11 for those in need"​ (4.10.20, Community News)​
  • "Delran park to return to farm use" (10.25.19, Burlington County Times)
  • "Students join the fight against hunger through gleaning event" (11.12.18, Rutgers Today)
  • "Bringing the farm to the city" (3.4.17, Arm in Arm)​
  • "New Jersey farmers: Thanks for giving!"   (11.24.16, Courier News)
  • "Gleaning event in East Brunswick nets apples for needy" (10.3.16, My Central Jersey)
  • ​"Gleaning away hunger" (9.26.16, Catholic Charities USA)
  • "Volunteers glean 1,600 pounds of apples at Giamarese Farms" (9.23.16, Central Jersey)
  • "New Jersey Farmers Against Hunger: On the road against hunger for 20 years"​ (8.19.16, Produce News)
  • ​"Produce surplus going to those in need"  (8.10.16, 6ABC)​
  • "Gleaning with Farmers Against Hunger"  (7.21.16, Catholic Star Herald)
  • "Farmers Against Hunger program celebrates 20 years" (2016, New Jersey Farmer)
  • ​"So many strawberries, so little time"  (6.8.16, Move for Hunger)
  • ​"New Jersey Farmers Against Hunger receives $10,000 donation from Farm Credit" (1.25.16, Farm Credit East)
  • "Healthy food comes to Camden families"  (2015, Rutgers-Camden News Now)
  • ​"Surplus Crops Stock Local Food Pantries"  (11.5.15, NJ Spotlight News)
  • "Groups to share $100,000 in grants"  (11.3.15, Home News Tribune)
  • "Kristina Guttadora named newest New Jersey Hero" (9.25.15, Produce News)
  • "Assembly approves Andrzejczak 3-bill package" (3.10.15, Cape May Herald)​
  • "Bills to combat hunger advanced"​ ​(2.26.15, Community News)​
  • "SJ Hot Chefs at Cathedral Kitchen" (10.6.14, Courier Post)​​
  • ​"New Rutgers students plant vegetables to feed the hungry" (8.6.09, Home News Tribune)
  • "Blueberries will help feed New Jersey's poor" (7.15.09, Philadelphia Inquirer)
  • "Free blueberries win raves: Fruit distributed in Camden, Browns Mills, Mount Holly" (7.15.09, Courier-Post)​
  • ​"Needy enjoy the fruits of farm group's labor" (10.13.08, Courier-Post)
  • "Farmers call on volunteers to help gather food" (10.10.08, Daily Record)
  • "A-maizing donation: S. Brunswick farm helps fight hunger" (9.25.08, Home News Tribune)
  • "Honor for feeding the hungry" (3.3.08, Philadelphia Inquirer)​
  • "Extra crops may still feed needy" (12.6.07, Home News Tribune)
  • "State must save farm harvest for the poor"  (12.1.07, Home News Tribune)
  • ​"Free food fizzles: Lack of N.J. funds kills program" (11.30.07, Home News Tribune)
  • ​"There's love for local in New Jersey"  (12.10.13, Farm Flavor)
  • "Fields of honor: Teams help fight N.J. hunger" (11.27.13, Philadelphia Inquirer)
  • "Lawrenceville football players harvest corn for food banks" (8.28.13, NJ.com)
  • "Peppadew Fresh pitching in to help Farmers Against Hunger" (8.22.13, Produce News)
  • ​"New Jersey farm honored for charity"  (5.16.13, Vegetable Growers News)
  • "Collecting collards for a nutritious cause" (5.3.13, Burlington County Times)
  • "New Jersey Farmers Against Hunger partner with local farms to supply food banks"  (10.22.12, NJ.com)
  • "Apple harvest draws volunteers to Chesterfield farm" (10.16.12, Burlington County Times)
  • "Appreciate nature at Garden Field Day"
    ​
    (8.16.12, Home News Tribune)
  • "Rutgers volunteers help harvest to feed the needy" (10.28.11, Asbury Park Press)
  • "Growing food, feeding the hungry"​ ​(7.16.11, Philadelphia Inquirer)​
  • ​"Gleaning a crop of generosity" (10.28.10, Courier News)​​
  • "Leftover produce donated to area soup kitchens" (8.23.09, Courier-Post)
  • "State funding cut kills free produce for people in need" (11.3.07, Courier-News)
  • ​"Farmers fight hunger, feed poor"​​ ​(12.14.06, Home News Tribune)
  • "Hunger programs get fresh fare: Farmers' organization, Philabundance join forces with 10 Camden churches" (10.8.03, Courier-Post)
  • "Farmers Against Hunger feeding locals in need" (7.24.03, The Daily Journal)
  • "Volunteers' effort gleans greens for county's poor" (11.3.00, Home News Tribune)
  • "Gleaning benefits everyone" (9.14.00, Messenger-Press)
  • "Volunteers spend day gleaning fields at farm for food destined for needy"
    (11.22.98, Home News Tribune)
  • "Volunteers harvest a bounty for hungry children in N.J." (10.18.98, The Record)
  • "Farmers pitch in to feed hungry" (8.5.98, Courier-Post)
  • "Farmers share harvests" (3.10.98, News-Democrat and Leader, KY)
  • "Volunteers pick apples, distribute to the needy" (9.30.97, Courier-Post)
  • "Farm leftovers for the needy" (10.17.96, Philadelphia Inquirer)
  • "Volunteers harvesting food for the needy" (7.10.96, Courier-Post)
Last updated: Nov 28, 2020

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Gleaning Week
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Copyright 2020, all rights reserved. NJAS is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit, EIN 21-0634544.
New Jersey Agricultural Society  •  (609) 462-9691  •  njagriculturalsociety@gmail.com
1200 Florence Columbus Road, Bordentown, NJ 08505