CHICAGO, March 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- This National Agriculture Day, Feeding America is proud to honor the farmers, ranchers and producers who work tirelessly to ensure families across the country have the food we all need to thrive. Our nation's farmers do more than grow food, they are essential partners in ensuring that fresh, nutritious food reaches the tables of neighbors facing hunger across the country.

"At the end of the day, we all want the same thing for ourselves, to be able to put healthy meals on the table for our families. We have seen firsthand that when we support our nation's farmers, we can also ensure our neighbors facing hunger have access to the fresh, nutritious meals they need to thrive," said Ami McReynolds, chief advocacy & community partnerships officer for Feeding America.

The partnership between the agricultural community and food banks is a lifeline for communities. Fresh produce, protein and dairy are among the most requested items by neighbors facing hunger, making up half of all food distributed across Feeding America food banks and pantries. According to Feeding America's 2025 Elevating Voices: Insights Report, neighbors say increased access to healthy, affordable food nearby is a top priority for their family to thrive.

The impact of the agricultural community can be seen across the country:

• From excess to access: In 2025, the Feeding America network worked with growers to rescue 971 million pounds of fresh produce, ensuring that perfectly good excess food can reach neighbors facing hunger.
• Investing in local food systems: Every day, local food producers work hand-in-hand with Feeding America network members to share surplus harvests with neighbors facing hunger across the country. These strong partnerships make it possible to move more fresh, farm-grown food through the Feeding America network, ensuring nutritious preferred foods reach the families who need them most.
• Advocating for farm fresh foods and food banks: Farm aid and federal nutrition programs like The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEAFP) provide critical support for farmers and people facing hunger. By purchasing food from U.S. growers, the government invests in our country's farmers while providing over 20% of the food distributed through the Feeding America network.

It is more important than ever to stand by our agricultural partners. According to a recent Feeding America poll, 95% of voters agree that hunger is a nonpartisan issue, and there is a clear mandate for collaborative solutions.

"Investing in our agricultural communities through additional farm aid and a strong Farm Bill that strengthens nutrition programs is not just good policy for farmers, it's the most powerful tool we have to support the tens of millions of neighbors who face challenges accessing the food they need," said McReynolds.

Join us in thanking our nation's farmers and contacting members of Congress to urge support for additional aid for farmers and a Farm Bill that leaves no family or community behind by visiting feedingamericaaction.org.

Media Contact
Emily James
Feeding America

About Feeding America
Rooted in the voices of neighbors facing hunger, Feeding America^® unites communities through a nationwide network to ensure everyone has access to food and a thriving future. As part of a network of 250+ food banks, 20+ statewide food bank associations, 10+ regional co-ops and 60,000+ agency partners, food pantries and meal programs, we helped provide 5.9 billion meals to tens of millions of people in need last year.

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SOURCE Feeding America