>> Hill: FOOD INSECURITY IN THE
UNITED STATES SKYROCKETED WHEN
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC BEGAN
ALMOST SIX MONTHS AGO.
IT'S LEFT EMERGENCY FOOD
DISTRIBUTORS STRETCHED TO
PROVIDE ENOUGH TO THOSE IN NEED.
TO HELP FILL THIS GAP,
ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY
HAVE DOUBLED DOWN ON AN AGE-OLD
PRACTICE OF GETTING EXCESS CROPS
FROM FARMS TO FAMILIES IN NEED.
ON THE THIRD FRIDAY OF EVERY
MONTH, ST. MARY'S OUTREACH IN
NEWBURGH, NEW YORK, OPENS ITS
DOORS.
AFTER A QUICK COVID SYMPTOM
SCREEN AND MASK CHECK, PEOPLE
WIND THEIR WAY AROUND THE
OUTSIDE OF THIS GYM, FOLLOWING
TAPE ON THE FLOOR TO TRY TO
REMAIN SIX FEET APART.
THEY FIND CANNED FOOD AND
STAPLES LIKE RICE, BUT THE
HIGHLIGHT FOR MANY IS THE MORE
THAN A DOZEN DIFFERENT TYPES OF
FRESH PRODUCE.
>> I'M SO AMAZED THAT THEY HAVE
AN ABUNDANCE OF VEGETABLES LIKE
THIS.
>> LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THIS
THING!
>> IT'S A GREAT PRIVILEGE TO
COME HERE AND GET THIS HERE.
AND I'M NOT ASHAMED OF IT
BECAUSE I'M GOING TO GO HOME AND
I'M GOING TO EAT VERY GOOD.
>> Hill: MARIETTA ALLEN IS THE
DIRECTOR OF ST. MARY'S OUTREACH.
>> WE HAVE A COMMUNITY, IT'S
VERY, VERY POOR.
AND I TRY TO INCLUDE FRESH STUFF
EVERY, EVERY MONTH.
MAKES A BIG, BIG DIFFERENCE.
AND THE FAMILIES ARE VERY
APPRECIATIVE, TOO.
SO, IT'S A GOOD THING.
>> Hill: EVEN BEFORE THE
PANDEMIC, THIS PART OF NEWBURGH,
A CITY 70 MILES NORTH OF NEW
YORK CITY, WAS CATEGORIZED AS A
FOOD DESERT ACCORDING TO FEDERAL
DATA, MEANING THERE'S REDUCED
ACCESS TO FRESH, AFFORDABLE,
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.
BUT AT THIS FOOD BANK, MUCH OF
THIS PRODUCE COULD JUST AS
EASILY BE FOUND AT UPSCALE
FARMERS MARKETS IN WEALTHY
ENCLAVES OF PLACES LIKE NEW YORK
CITY.
IN FACT, LESS THAN 48 HOURS
EARLIER, MUCH OF IT WAS.
GETTING THIS PRODUCE FROM HERE
TO EMERGENCY FOOD DISTRIBUTORS
IS THE JOB OF A COMPLEX REGIONAL
DISTRIBUTION NETWORK THAT
GLEANS-- OR TAKES EXCESS FOOD
FROM FARMERS-- AND GETS IT TO
THE NEEDY.
GLEANING IS A CUSTOM THAT DATES
BACK THOUSANDS OF YEARS, EVEN
DESCRIBED IN THE BOOK OF RUTH IN
THE BIBLE.
BUT IT'S BECOME MORE CHALLENGING
DURING THE PANDEMIC, JUST AS
DEMAND FOR EMERGENCY FOOD IS
SURGING.
>> SO, WHAT WE'VE GOT HERE IS
PINK BERKELY TIE-DYE.
>> Hill: KEVIN SMITH IS THE
OWNER OF SYCAMORE FARMS, AND HE
BRINGS PRODUCE TO THIS NEW YORK
CITY GREENMARKET IN UNION SQUARE
TWICE A WEEK.
IT NEVER CLOSED DURING THE
COVID-19 SHUTDOWN.
>> THIS FARMERS MARKET,
ESPECIALLY THIS YEAR, HAS BEEN A
GREAT SENSE OF COMMUNITY FOR
MYSELF AND THE PEOPLE THAT SHOP
HERE, AND FOR PRODUCTS.
IT'S BEEN REALLY A SAVING GRACE
FOR ME AND MY FAMILY.
>> Hill: AT THE END OF THE DAY,
ANYTHING THAT'S NOT SOLD IS
CAREFULLY RELOADED ONTO HIS
REFRIGERATED TRUCK AND BROUGHT
BACK TO HIS 237 ACRE FARM ABOUT
70 MILES NORTHWEST OF NEW YORK
CITY.
EARLY THE NEXT MORNING, A TEAM
FROM CORNELL COOPERATIVE
EXTENSION ORANGE COUNTY IS
SIFTING THROUGH WHAT'S LEFT.
>> I'LL TAKE SOME STUFF AND GO
INTO NEWBURGH.
>> Hill: STILES NAJAC RUNS
CORNELL EXTENSION'S GLEANING
PROGRAM.
>> WE MOVE CLOSE TO 400,000
POUNDS OF FOOD FRESH FROM THE
FARM DIRECTLY TO SOUP KITCHENS
AND FOOD PANTRIES SO THAT THEY
DON'T HAVE TO STORE IT, EVERY
YEAR.
AND, YEAH, WE MOVE FOOD.
WE MOVE FOOD AS QUICKLY AS WE
NEED TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS
EATEN WHILE FRESH.
>> Hill: GLEANING SYCAMORE'S
MARKET TRUCK MEANS GOING THROUGH
PRODUCE CAREFULLY TO MAKE SURE
ONLY FRUITS AND VEGETABLES THAT
ARE STILL GOOD ARE TAKEN.
IN THE MIDDLE OF TOMATO SEASON,
IT'S A TIME CONSUMING PROCESS.
>> WHEN GLEANING, YOU WIND UP
GETTING A WIDE VARIETY OF
QUALITY.
THIS IS AMAZING.
THIS, THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT.
YOU WANT FOOD THAT HAS BEEN
GROWN AND CARED FOR AND JUST
DIDN'T FIND A MARKET, A HOME
FROM THE MARKET.
WE'LL GIVE IT A GOOD HOME.
>> Hill: ALL TOLD, NEARLY 6,000
POUNDS OF PRODUCE, INCLUDING
TOMATOES, CORN, PEPPERS, BEANS,
AND EGGPLANTS, ARE TAKEN FROM
SYCAMORE'S TRUCK AND LOADED ONTO
CORNELL EXTENSIONS'S
REFRIGERATED TRUCK, READY TO BE
TAKEN TO DISTRIBUTION POINTS
ACROSS THE REGION.
THIS PROGRAM, WHICH IS FUNDED BY
STATE AND LOCAL GRANTS, AS WELL
AS DONATIONS, IS ONE OF NEARLY
200 GLEANING PROGRAMS IN NORTH
AMERICA, ACCORDING TO THE
ASSOCIATION OF GLEANING
ORGANIZATIONS.
THE GROWTH OF GLEANING PROGRAMS,
LIKE CORNELL EXTENSION'S, HAS
PARTLY BEEN DRIVEN BY ADDING
FINANCIAL INCENTIVES FOR
FARMERS.
SINCE 2018, NEW YORK STATE FARMS
CAN RECEIVE A TAX CREDIT OF UP
TO $5,000.
THAT'S IN ADDITION TO GETTING A
BREAK ON THEIR FEDERAL TAXES FOR
DONATING CROPS TO NON-PROFITS.
>> THIS COULD BE THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN WHETHER OR NOT, YOU
KNOW, THEY HAVE A BIG BILL TO
PAY OR A SMALL BILL TO PAY AT
THE END OF THE YEAR.
>> Hill: IN ADDITION TO THE TAX
INCENTIVES, KEVIN SMITH SAYS
HAVING A PLACE TO DONATE
ACTUALLY HELPS HIM MAINTAIN THE
VALUE OF HIS PRODUCE AT THE
GREENMARKET.
>> WE USED TO DO IT ABOUT 3:00,
4:00 IN THE AFTERNOON.
WE STARTED HAVING DISCOUNT
SALES.
WE CREATED A CULTURE OF LATE IN
THE DAY SHOPPERS WHO WERE
LOOKING ONLY FOR DEALS.
SO WHEN I STARTED WORKING WITH
STILES, I NO LONGER FELT THE
PRESSURE OF TAKING HOME THIS
EXTRA PRODUCE AS A BURDEN.
I WOULD MUCH RATHER DONATE THAN
DISCOUNT MY RATES HERE WHERE I
HAVE AN ESTABLISHED MARKET.
>> Hill: FOR THE LAST DECADE,
SYCAMORE HAS DONATED, ON
AVERAGE, ABOUT 65,000 POUNDS OF
PRODUCE EACH YEAR.
AND IT'S NOT ALONE.
AS THE PANDEMIC INCREASES FOOD
INSECURITY, CORNELL EXTENSION'S
GLEANING PROGRAM HAS BEEN BUSIER
THAN EVER.
>> EVERYBODY IS GROWING FRESH
PRODUCE FOR US TO DONATE.
IT'S BEEN, I WOULD SAY, WE'VE
EASILY DOUBLED THE AMOUNT OF
FOOD THAT WE'RE MOVING IN A
WEEKLY BASIS.
>> Hill: BUT EVEN AS DONATIONS
INCREASE, THE PANDEMIC ADDS NEW
CHALLENGES TO HOW STILES AND HER
TEAM OPERATE.
IN OTHER YEARS, EXCESS CROPS
LIKE THESE TOMATOES, WHICH WERE
PASSED OVER BY PICKERS FOR NOT
BEING PERFECT, MIGHT HAVE BEEN
COLLECTED BY VOLUNTEERS FOR
DONATION-- BUT NOT THIS YEAR.
>> I WOULD LIKE TO GET
VOLUNTEERS INTO THE FIELD.
HOWEVER, WE DO HAVE TO TAKE INTO
CONSIDERATION SOCIAL DISTANCING,
MASKS.
THIS YEAR, COVID HAS KIND OF
SLOWED US DOWN IN THAT MATTER.
>> Hill: BACK IN NEWBURGH, ABOUT
20 MILES FROM SYCAMORE FARM,
GLEANED TOMATOES, CORN, BEANS,
EGGPLANT, NECTARINES, AND
PEACHES ARE DELIVERED TO ST.
MARY'S OUTREACH.
THE NEXT MORNING, VOLUNTEERS PUT
THE PRODUCE INTO GRAB-ABLE
PLASTIC BAGS, BEFORE THEY ARE
DISTRIBUTED TO THOSE IN NEED.
THIS FOOD PANTRY HAS BEEN HERE
FOR ALMOST A DECADE, BUT THIS
WILL BE ITS LAST TIME OPERATING
IN THIS 3,500 SQUARE FOOT GYM.
BECAUSE OF COVID-19, A HEAD
START PROGRAM FOR KIDS NEEDS THE
SPACE FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING.
WITH INCREASED DEMAND FOR
EMERGENCY FOOD, MARIETTA ALLEN
SAYS SHE'S LOOKING FOR A NEW
SPACE.
>> I'M HOPING WE CAN FIND
SOMETHING, BUT WHEREVER WE ARE,
WE GIVE AWAY AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
