Wyden, Merkley Announce $70,000 for the Oregon Food Bank

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced an investment of $70,000 for the Oregon Food Bank from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service to connect local producers with emergency feeding organizations.

“Nothing is more important than making sure folks in need have food to eat, and the resources to thrive,” Wyden said. “Making sure this food is locally sourced and processed helps connect our Oregon farmers to the communities they feed.”

“It is critical for Oregonians to have access to healthy and sustainably produced food,” said Merkley. “Oregon Food Bank is essential in connecting communities and families in every corner of the state to locally grown and produced food from our bountiful producers across Oregon – a win-win for producers and families in need.  Federal investments like these will continue to ensure they can keep getting sustainably produced food to those who need it most.” 

"Through these crucial funds, we partner with local growers to ensure no produce goes to waste, while simultaneously compensating them for their essential labor. It's a quadruple win — a testament to the power of collaboration. Farmers and producers benefit from compensation and tax incentives, Oregon Food Bank maximizes our impact by sourcing local produce affordably, and ultimately, our communities thrive as we work to end hunger and provide nourishing, culturally relevant foods," shares Susannah Morgan, Oregon Food Bank President. "We're grateful for Senator Wyden's support and his understanding that food alone won't end hunger. We look forward to continued partnership pursuing policy solutions that support our communities and drive lasting change."

Oregon Food Bank works within its established network of regional food banks to connect with agricultural producers across the state, to secure donations from these producers by reimbursing them for pick and pack out fees, and to coordinate transportation of the donations to food banks. 

A web version of this release is here.