“The pandemic brought to light how fragile our [local food] supply system is,” notes Nazirahk Amen, Purple Mountain Organics farmer, who sees how supporting our local food system is vital to our community’s health and well-being. That’s why he participates in the Montgomery County Farm to Food Bank (F2FB) program . The program — a collaboration between Manna Food Center , Montgomery County Food Council , and the Montgomery County Office of Agriculture — started in summer 2020,Continue Reading
The Montgomery County Farm to Food Bank program buys local, fresh, and nutritious produce, meat and eggs for our neighbors who experience hunger. Thanks to a grant from Montgomery County and the Greater Washington Community Foundation , the program provides a much-needed financial boost to local farmers, especially in the wake of COVID-19. Of the 23 dedicated farmers who have joined the Farm to Food BankContinue Reading
The Montgomery County Farm to Food Bank program , born last year at the height of the global pandemic to help both farmers and people who are food insecure, was an idea that continues to flourish. Thanks to Montgomery County and Greater Washington Community Foundation , Manna Food Center received a grant to purchase freshly harvested produce, eggs, and meat from local farms. These products are then donated toContinue Reading
Just when we thought the local harvest was done for the year, and we turned our attention to food for the upcoming holidays, Community Food Rescue (CFR) had a flurry of requests from local farms to glean their fields. In November, we organized four gleans that together yielded a bounty of 2,410 lbs. of produce that was distributedContinue Reading
While the global pandemic has upended life as we know it, including disrupting commercial food supply chains, there are some exciting new connections developing in our local food system. One shining example is a new relationship between three food assistance efforts, connected through Manna Food Center’s Community Food Rescue (CFR) program . When many local restaurants and institutions closed, the pandemic left aContinue Reading
It’s summer and local farms, farmers markets, and grocery stores are once again bursting with delicious fresh produce. Consumers may be shopping at their neighborhood farmers market, bringing home their weekly Consumer Supported Agriculture (CSA) share box, or taking the family to a pick-your-own farm on weekends. Farmers not only reap the economic fruits ofContinue Reading
The Farm Food Donation Pilot Program (SB 416) , signed into law by Governor Larry Hogan last fall, allows eligible farmers to take a tax credit of up to $5,000 per year for donating fresh produce to charitable organizations. This three-year pilot program that began in 2017 is available to farms located in Montgomery County as well as Anne Arundel County, Calvert County, CharlesContinue Reading
No one likes to think about taxes, but did you know that businesses that donate surplus unsold food not only help people and the environment, but can save on their income taxes? Recent Maryland state legislation sweetens tax incentives for farmers in Montgomery County. In 1976, Congress enacted Internal Revenue Code, Section 170e3 , as an incentiveContinue Reading
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