NAZARETH — Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding joined Second Harvest Food Bank Associate Executive Director Sarah Wassel and Feeding PA CEO Julie Bancroft recently for a roundtable discussion with local farmers to highlight proposed investments in the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System (PASS) and the State Food Purchase Program (SFPP). These programs are vital to strengthening Pennsylvania’s food supply chain and ensuring that nutritious food reaches those who need it, especially with announced federal cuts to support for Pennsylvania farmers and food banks.

The discussion brought food bank leaders and farmers together to explore the region’s challenges that would be magnified by federal funding cuts. In contrast, the group discussed the positive impact the increases and initiatives in Governor Shapiro’s 2025-26 budget proposal would have on Pennsylvania food banks, the regional food system, and area farmers.

“With the bipartisan support of the General Assembly and the overwhelming generosity of Pennsylvania farmers, we have built successful programs to tackle food insecurity and put healthy, nutritious, local food on the tables of families across Pennsylvania,” said Secretary Redding. “We simply can’t afford to turn back time and undermine the progress we have made together for Pennsylvania families and farms.”

In his 2025-26 budget proposal, Governor Josh Shapiro calls for a $4 million increase to the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System (PASS), which connects low-income Pennsylvanians with healthy, local food through 13 regional food banks across the state. The Governor’s budget proposal also calls for an addition $4 million for the State Food Purchase Program (SFPP) to increase the resources available to emergency food providers in all 67 counties. These proposed increases would bring the combined total for these programs to $34.6 million. Governor Shapiro has been a champion for reducing food insecurity in Pennsylvania by tackling its root causes, including raising the minimum wage and cutting costs for Pennsylvanians.

The proposed funding comes at a pivotal moment for food security efforts across the Commonwealth. Demand for food assistance remains high, and the recent, abrupt cancellation of $13 million through the USDA’s Local Food Purchasing Assistance (LFPA) program has left a significant funding gap. In response, Governor Shapiro directed Secretary Redding to formally appeal the loss of $13 million in federal LFPA support — funding that would have supported 189 Pennsylvania farms over the next three years.