News & Updates

"After hours of discussion and markup, and months of delay, the U.S. House Agriculture Committee passed its Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 out of committee early Friday morning. While the legislation as drafted recommends some modest, positive changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), those changes are undercut by a proposal that would erode investments in SNAP and other emergency food assistance programs over time. At a time when our neighbors are faced with historically high costs for food and other household expenses and with food insecurity rates trending in the wrong direction, we need a strong farm bill that protects everyone on the food supply chain, from farmer to grocer to family. We urge Ohio’s congressional delegation to insist on a farm bill that fully invests in food and economic security. Ohio’s foodbanks and the households we serve need more help, not less.”

“Yesterday, the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee released a framework of its Rural Prosperity and Security Act, a critical step forward in advancing a strong, bipartisan farm bill that protects and promotes food security for families and stability for farmers.
“As Ohio’s leading charitable response to hunger, the Ohio Association of Foodbanks has partnered with local and regional agricultural partners for decades to help reduce hunger and promote food security, while reducing food waste and contributing to a resilient food supply chain. That’s really the guiding principle that should underpin a successful farm bill – making investments that preserve and protect healthy communities, from the seed in the soil to the food on the table.
“The bill framework introduced protects and invests in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – something that is non-negotiable in any farm bill, and especially at a time of growing food insecurity and historic hardship. It signals critical support for programs like The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program (LFPA) that help to prevent the indignity of hunger while supporting a reliable, robust agricultural sector, one that we’re all counting on to continue feeding the nation and the world. With 1.2 million people or more visiting emergency food pantries across Ohio every month for the past year – far more than at any time in our history – we know firsthand how much Ohioans are counting on meaningful investments in federal nutrition programs.
“As the farm bill process moves forward, we urge Congress to work together to pass a bipartisan bill that strengthens and protects investments in programs that nourishes children, parents and caregivers, workers, people with disabilities and older adults and supports farmers, growers and producers. Federal nutrition programs are vital to helping tens of millions of people across the country, including millions of Ohioans, access the wholesome food they need to thrive. The time is now – hardworking farmers and families can’t wait.”

Michael McKee, CEO of Blue Ridge Area Food Bank was awarded the 2024 John van Hengel Fellowship by Feeding America during the organization’s annual conference this week. Seven network members and affiliates were also recognized for their outstanding work, including: Arizona Food Bank Network, Facing Hunger Foodbank, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, God’s Pantry Food Bank, Northern Illinois Food Bank, and Ohio Association of Foodbanks.

Ohio Association of Foodbanks is recognized for its pioneering approach to healthy food access by embracing the potential of a USDA program that incentivizes purchases from local producers for hunger relief activities. The partner state association worked diligently to foster trusting relationships among food banks and over 100 local farmers, most of whom were historically underserved by federal programs. Through direct dialogues, the state association helped partners agree on a unified aim of a resilient local supply chain with a pipeline for smaller growers. This approach balanced equitable prices and the scale needed to reach more people facing hunger.

“Before Covid-19 happened, we were serving about 2 million food pantry visits a quarter, and that was after a very prolonged recovery coming out of the Great Recession where we finally got to a new normal. Now we are serving 3.6 to 3.8 million food pantry visits every quarter. We had before, a year ago, never hit 3 million food pantry visits in a quarter, and now we are approaching 4 million in a quarter.”

Anti-hunger advocates have long considered summer one of the toughest times to reach children.

Many schools serve free summer meals. But parents often struggle to get to them, either because they’re far away or open only during work hours. Families who rely on food banks say they often can’t find staples their kids need, like milk. And often, the food is nearly expired.

Summer EBT allows families to shop for themselves — part of a pandemic-era trend to provide families with more direct aid.

“Only parents and families know what’s best for themselves and their children — what they’re actually going to eat, what they’re capable of eating,” said Hope Lane-Gavin, who directs nutrition policy and programs for the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, which is helping get the word out about Summer EBT. “Most food pantries can’t really tailor a box to a gluten-free kid.”

Pandemic EBT, which launched when schools were closed, helped lay the groundwork. States found that families liked that program, and it helped agencies set up new systems they’re now tweaking for Summer EBT.

Summer can be the hungriest time of the year for students who rely on free or reduced school meals and a new federal program is trying to help those families.

Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (S-EBT) — also known as SUN Bucks — is a new grocery benefit program through the U.S. Department of Agriculture that will give families $120 per eligible student to buy groceries during the summer.

Ohio is one of more than 30 states that has opted into the SUN Bucks program.

“We have a lot of Ohio children who rely on their school meals for their breakfasts and lunches, and in the summertime sometimes it’s very difficult for households to be able to provide meals,” said Brigette Hires, director of nutrition for the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. “This new Summer EBT has really helped to just have another safety net for households in the summertime to be able to provide nutritious meals for their families.”

The SUN Bucks program is estimated to help 840,000 Ohio students afford groceries during the summer and is the first new permanent federal nutrition program in more than 50 years.

Welcome to the first official Ohio CAN Guide! This guide provides comprehensive information about Ohio’s Local Food Purchasing Assistance Program (LFPA), also known as Ohio CAN (Community +Agriculture + Nutrition). Here, you'll not only learn about the program itself but also discover the diverse individuals working behind the scenes to make it successful. Ohio CAN brings together foodbank representatives, aggregators, farmers, producers, and suppliers to ensure local food reaches communities across the state.

Ohio CAN prioritizes suppliers who identify as historically underrepresented, such as women, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, veterans, small and beginner farmers, disabled farmers, and those relying on public assistance.

This guide, like the Ohio CAN program, aims to highlight local foods, celebrate local producers, and showcase the diversity within agriculture. It is designed to inspire anyone interested in farming, gardening, or agriculture and to clarify what “local foods” truly means and its significance to programs like this.