Farm Compliance

Members of Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers (YF&R) programs are spearheading Harvest for All across the nation. The joint effort between Farm Bureau and America’s Second Harvest is a national community-action program through which farmers work to help ensure every American can enjoy the bounty produced on America’s farms and ranches.

State Farm Bureaus were recently recognized at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual YF&R conference for donating food, funds and volunteer hours to the farmer-driven, hunger-relief effort.

“More money, food and volunteer hours than ever before were donated last year,” said national YF&R Chair Townsend Kyser, who farms in Alabama. “Farmers and ranchers are doing their part to help make sure all Americans have food on their dinner tables.”

In addition to raising food and funds for the initiative, farmers and ranchers donated nearly 5,000 hours of their time for hunger-relief efforts at their local food banks, homeless shelters, churches and community centers.

In the recognition program, state YF&R committees compete in three categories: funds raised, pounds of food donated and number of volunteer hours. YF&R committees honored by AFBF for contributions in these categories donate the earned monetary awards to local America’s Second Harvest food banks.

The Illinois Farm Bureau YF&R Committee took top honors for raising the most money, just over $54,000. New York Farm Bureau’s YF&R Committee donated the most food (3.7 million pounds) and Kansas Farm Bureau’s YF&R Committee donated the highest number of volunteer hours (1,700). Each of these state YF&R programs received a $3,000 monetary award.

The Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee in Indiana earned second place and $2,000 for its monetary donation. Illinois Farm Bureau’s YF&R Committee was awarded $4,000 for capturing second place in pounds of food donated and volunteer hours contributed.

“We are honored and grateful for the leadership shown by Farm Bureau members in response to hunger in their communities,” said Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of America’s Second Harvest. “Over the past five years, Harvest for All has proven to be a successful partnership between those who grow the food we eat and America’s Second Harvest.”

Since Harvest for All was launched five years ago, America’s farmers have gathered more than 9 million pounds of food, logged nearly 25,000 volunteer hours and raised more than $600,000 in cash. Combined, the food and monetary donations amount to more than 16 million meals.