N.Y. (WETM) — New York Farm Bureau members rank second in the nation for the most food donated to regional food banks, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Members donated almost 6.4 million pounds of food to food banks across New York in 2022. The donations were through the AFBF’s Harvest for All program. The ranking and amount of food donated were announced at the AFBF Young Farmers and Ranchers annual conference in Jacksonville, Florida.

“New York’s farmers have long prioritized helping their communities and people in need all across the state,” said the New York Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Chair, Christina Kohler. “I would like to thank all of our partners for another successful year of food donations, and we look forward to building a stronger food system in the state to make sure no New Yorker goes hungry.”

New York farmers participating in the Harvest for All program also collected $30,900 in donations for food banks in the state and volunteered for 699 hours in 2022. During the nearly 20 years of participating in this program, New York farmers have donated about 127 million pounds of food, which is equal to around 100 million meals.

“Farm donations are at the heart of our work. Our food bank community is deeply grateful to New York’s generous farmers for their donations of top-quality, healthy food,” said Dan Egan, Feeding New York State Executive Director.

The New York Farm Bureau is partnered with Feeding New York State. The donations raised by NYFB members are distributed among the 10 Feeding America food banks located across New York State. The Food Bank of the Southern Tier is one of these Feeding America food banks.