Assemblyman Chris Tague (R,C,I-Schoharie), ranking member of the Assembly Committee on Agriculture, is celebrating the passage of legislation (A.5781A) that will make “Nourish New York,” established in the beginning of the pandemic, a permanent state-run program. The initiative will continue to connect rural farmers with excess product to food banks in need throughout the state through a state-operated purchasing program.

The bill was passed following a bipartisan effort with New York City Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz (D-Jackson Heights, Corona, and Elmhurst), Senator Michelle Hinchey (SD-46) and Senator George Borello (SD-57) to make it permanent. “Nourish New York” has helped support farmers throughout the state, while also bolstering food security for families in urban and rural areas alike.

“Cementing the Nourish New York program into law by passing this bill is great news for farmers, families, and rural communities as a whole, and I am elated we were able to work across the aisle to make this vital program permanent,” said Tague. “I want to thank Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz and Senators Hinchey and Borello for joining me in spearheading the effort to gain bipartisan support for this program and the bill enshrining it into law.”

However, Tague hopes to do even more to “connect the dots” between farmers and food banks by passing the “NY Food Insecurity, Farm Resiliency, and Rural Poverty Initiative” (A.6391). Tague’s initiative would help food banks store more meat and dairy products, while assisting farmers in improving their infrastructure and providing incentives to open processing facilities throughout New York.

“After taking this important first step, I hope Assemblywoman Cruz, Senator Borello, Senator Hinchey, and other legislators will join me in addressing other aspects of this issue by working to pass the ‘NY Food Insecurity, Farm Resiliency, and Rural Poverty Initiative’,” said Tague. “These improvements are dearly needed by farmers here in New York. With that said, making Nourish NY permanent is certainly a major achievement for farmers and food security in our state, and it was excellent to work in a bipartisan manner to make it happen.”

"As our state begins to reopen, food insecurity continues to loom over the lives of New Yorkers struggling to feed their families. Nourish NY is a lifeline to the hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who depend on food pantries to support their families, as well as the over 4,000 state farms who provide the produce and dairy. This program is a win-win for all, and exactly what our state government should be doing to improve the lives of all New Yorkers.I want to thank my colleagues across the aisle for voting to support this important bill. Their support has been vital in ensuring that we have the ability to feed the thousands members of our communities statewide who would have otherwise gone hungry without the program," said Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz.

“From day one of this legislative session, the measure to make Nourish NY permanent has benefitted from great momentum as well as the determination of our dedicated, bi-partisan team. Born out of hardship and loss during one of our state’s darkest chapters, this innovative collaboration emerged as a source of help and hope for our farmers and food insecure New Yorkers. The passage of this bill by the Senate, and now, the Assembly, means it doesn’t have to end with the pandemic. We will be urging the Governor to sign this into law as soon as possible so that Nourish NY’s impact can continue,” said Senator George Borello

“During one of the darkest moments our state has ever faced, Nourish New York emerged as a beacon of compassionate, bipartisan aid to address the surge in food insecurity and assist our struggling farmers who had lost up to 50 percent of their customers,” said Senator Michelle Hinchey, bill sponsor and Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee. “Nourish New York demonstrates what’s possible when we work together--regardless of party or geography--to help our communities survive. Connecting the dots between families in need and farmers looking to reach new markets is the kind of innovation we want for the long term. Now that both houses of the Legislature have unanimously passed our bill to make this great state program a permanent fixture, our work begins to get it signed into law. I want to thank all of my partners in government for their leadership as we continue to forge strong upstate and downstate partnerships to ensure that no New Yorker is left behind in their time of need.”