MORGANTOWN, PA — A Pennsylvania program designed to buy surplus food from local farmers and redirect it to struggling families has delivered more than 31 million meals over the last decade while providing farmers with a stable market for excess crops, state officials announced Tuesday.
What This Means for You
- Pennsylvania’s PASS program has helped supply more than 31 million meals to families facing food insecurity.
- Farmers receive financial support for surplus food that might otherwise go to waste.
- Governor Josh Shapiro’s proposed budget would continue and expand food security funding statewide.
Russell Redding and Feeding Pennsylvania marked the 10-year anniversary of the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System, known as PASS, during an event at Weaver’s Orchard in Berks County.
PASS is a state-supported food assistance program that pays for the harvesting, packaging, transportation, and processing of surplus agricultural products so they can be distributed through food banks instead of discarded.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, the program has provided $31.9 million to Feeding Pennsylvania food banks since 2016, allowing them to purchase 38.3 million pounds of surplus food from Pennsylvania farms.
State officials reported the partnership has served 7.9 million households statewide during the past decade.
“Pennsylvania farmers are great at what they do. We need our farmers to stay in business. And we need to feed the 1.7 million Pennsylvanians who struggle with hunger,” Redding said.
Budget Proposal Expands Food Assistance
The event also highlighted Governor Josh Shapiro’s proposed 2026-27 budget, which includes continued funding increases for food assistance and agricultural support programs.
The administration’s proposal includes:
- $3 million for the State Food Purchase Program and $1 million for PASS
- $2 million for a proposed State Food Bucks program tied to SNAP benefits
- $5 million in additional funding for Pennsylvania food banks
SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, is the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that helps low-income households purchase groceries.
Officials noted Shapiro secured an $11 million increase for food security programs in the current 2025-26 budget.
Farmers and Food Banks Describe Program Impact
Weaver’s Orchard, a family-owned Berks County farm founded in 1932, hosted Tuesday’s event and has participated in PASS for the last 10 years by supplying surplus fruit to Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank.
Weaver’s Orchard President Ed Weaver credited the program with helping offset costs associated with distributing unused produce.
“The PASS program has provided a valuable resource by funding the harvest, container, and transportation costs for the surplus produce we have at times throughout the year,” Weaver said.
Helping Harvest President and Feeding Pennsylvania Board Chair Jay Worrall described the program as transformative for regional food banks because it increased access to fresh produce rather than shelf-stable food alone.
Feeding Pennsylvania CEO Julie Bancroft stated that continued investment will remain important as demand for food assistance stays elevated statewide.
According to Feeding Pennsylvania, one in eight Pennsylvanians struggles with hunger.
Federal Funding Dispute Continues
The announcement also highlighted an ongoing dispute between Pennsylvania and the federal government over food assistance funding.
According to the release, the United States Department of Agriculture canceled Pennsylvania’s Local Food Purchasing Assistance agreement in 2025, cutting $13 million previously used by food banks to purchase fresh food from local farms.
State officials noted the Shapiro administration responded by filing a lawsuit challenging the cancellation, which remains pending.
Agriculture’s Economic Role
Pennsylvania agriculture supports more than 48,800 farms, nearly 600,000 jobs, and contributes an estimated $132.5 billion annually to the state economy, according to the Department of Agriculture.
The administration also used Tuesday’s event to promote broader agricultural investments proposed in the governor’s budget, including expanded innovation grants, a new animal health laboratory in Western Pennsylvania, and additional funding for fresh food financing initiatives.
Support the local news that supports Chester County. MyChesCo delivers reliable, fact-based reporting and essential community resources—free for everyone. If you value that, click here to become a patron today.