FEEDHV TO COORDINATE WITH DUTCHESS COUNTY FAIR AND RED HOOK RESPONDS TO REDIRECT FOOD TO FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS Community Food Network Will Collect Food Vendor Donations at Conclusion of Fair
HUDSON, NY --- AUGUST 19, 2022 --- Among all the colorful characters and sights and sounds at the Dutchess County Fair, on the August 28 final evening of the event, fair goers will see a new cast of cheerfully attired workers circulating: the volunteers of FeedHV and Red Hook Responds.
This year, the Dutchess County Fair, which runs August 23-28 at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds, is offering its food vendors the opportunity to donate their remaining products and ingredients to local agencies with food assistance programs – feeding those in need in the Hudson Valley – through FeedHV.
Administered by Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Development Corporation (HVADC), FeedHV is a regional food rescue and harvesting network operating throughout Dutchess, Orange, Ulster, Columbia, Greene, Putnam and Sullivan counties. It links donors of prepared, but unserved, food and fresh produce with nonprofits and food assistance programs. Through an app-assisted network of food donors, volunteers and feeding agencies, FeedHV facilitates the harvesting, processing and distribution of locally grown or produced agricultural products, shelf-stable food donations and prepared nutritious foods. Among the donors are restaurants, farms, food makers, stores, hospitals and universities – and now the Dutchess County Fair. The food assistance programs include food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters.
“The Fair vendors are thrilled to be able to donate through FeedHV. It is something they have been asking for and we have been working toward for a number of years, but we did not have the volunteer network ourselves to facilitate and were delayed by the pandemic. FeedHV, with the help of Red Hook Responds is perfectly positioned to redirect our vendors’ excess to appropriate food programs,” said Deborah Aschmann, Concessions, Vendors & Partnerships, for The Fair. This year’s Dutchess County Fair will feature approximately 100 food vendors across the fairgrounds, including the Grange, 4H and Midway areas.
“We have been fortunate to coordinate with Red Hook Responds on a number of occasions to support FeedHV. It’s been a great partnership given the storage that they can provide, and due to their resources of having chefs that can process food prior to distribution for agencies that can only use prepared foods,” said Todd Erling, Executive Director, HVADC.
“We regularly collaborate with FeedHV to extend the reach of the local food systems and its players. We are happy to support them in their work to redirect foods to organizations such as ourselves who are turning foods into meals that are more readily accessible to the members of our community who are experiencing food insecurity,” said Jeung-il Tsumagari, Executive Director, Red Hook Responds.
Under the auspices of FeedHV, at the conclusion of The Fair, volunteers from partner organization Red Hook Responds will visit food vendors as they are closing, to collect surplus food. The donations will be taken to Red Hook Responds for storage and distribution to agencies by the FeedHV volunteer network. Vendors are being informed of this inaugural food justice event through their informational packets, and daily stand visits by the Fair’s food committee.
“We are so fortunate to be part of the Dutchess County community. To work with other non-profits and be able to give back to our community makes this project especially agreeable,” said Andy Imperati, CEO/Fair Manager of the Dutchess County Fair.
To learn more about FeedHV, its donor and volunteer programs, visit www.feedhv.org. To become a food donor, contact info@feedhv.org. To make a monetary donation to FeedHV, visit https://www.feedhv.org/donate-today.
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About FeedHV For the past five years, FeedHV has been operating as a regional food rescue and harvesting network in New York’s Hudson Valley, linking donors of prepared but unserved food and fresh produce to nonprofits with food assistance programs. The program is administered by Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Development Corporation (HVADC). For additional information, visit www.feedhv.org.
About Red Hook Responds Red Hook Responds coordinates, enhances and supports the existing and new volunteer efforts in the Red Hook area. It harnesses volunteers in a centralized location where people work together to maximize the programs already in place. Among its many food assistance program, it operates a food exchange, connecting local farms with pantries, processes food for distribution to agencies, operates Red Hook Eats, a dinner delivery service for its neighbors and offers a pantry bag program for those in need. www.redhookresponds.org.
About The Dutchess County Fair The Fair is produced by the Dutchess County Agricultural Society Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to showcase, promote and sustain agriculture through education, display, competition and community involvement. Its vision is a society actively engaged in the pursuit and promotion of our rural and agricultural heritage, from neighborhood back yards to family farms and commercial enterprises. Today, the largest agricultural 6-day fair in New York State has a physical plant that is recognized as one of the most beautiful in the country. 2022 marks the 176th Dutchess County Fair, which will feature over 1,000 individual exhibitors showcasing everything from cows, horses, pigs, chickens, sheep, and goats to jams, jellies, quilts and fine arts for the Dutchess County Fair. www.dutchessfair.com