With the gradual shift toward conscious, sustainable treatment of food in our society, reducing food waste has become a focal point for legislators, scholars, and advocates alike. It’s a travesty that so much food goes to waste when so many are hungry, and the Maryland Food Bank has built fighting food waste into the way we work. Find out how we make the best of an inefficient food system.
Since 2011, Amy Cawley has overseen the Farm to Food Bank Program, which combines field gleanings, donations, and contract growing to form the cornerstone of the food bank’s nutrition strategy. She has helped the program grow from its humble roots with just two partners — First Fruits Farms in northern Baltimore County and Arnold Farms in northeastern Queen Anne’s County — into a powerhouse produce program with more than 60 farms that infuse our statewide food distribution efforts with hundreds of thousands of pounds of nutritious fruits and vegetables annually.
The Maryland Food bank is excited to fulfill our goals of distributing more food and helping reduce food waste through the Middle Mile Program, which connects the hospitality industry to hungry Marylanders.
At the Maryland Food Bank, we know that better nutrition means better health. That’s why, with the help of farmers like Steve, we’re committed to delivering millions of pounds of fresh produce annually through our Farm to Food Bank Program.”Hunger does not discriminate, we want to see people having healthy options for their meals”-Steve of Mason’s Heritage Farms.
From large scale farms to community and backyard gardens, farmers and gardeners off all types play a role in making Maryland healthier.
