Assemblyman Chris Tague joined Governor Kathy Hochul, State Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard Ball, and a bipartisan group of legislators just before Thanksgiving in Corona, Queens as the Governor signed his Nourish New York bill into law.
Nourish New York connects rural farmers with excess product to food banks in need throughout the state through a state-operated purchasing program.
As part of the event and to showcase how the program can help provide food to those in need, food was distributed to 8,000 local residents by La Jornada, a food pantry serving Queens.
Also in attendance were Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz, Senator George Borrello, and Senator Michelle Hinchey.
“Everything leading up to this bill’s signing today has been a bipartisan effort involving too many people to name, but I want to give special thanks to this bill’s sponsor, Assemblywomen Cruz, for her extensive work on my farm tour and in Albany building support for this bill across the aisle,” said Assemblyman Tague.
“It would be no exaggeration to say she is the reason this bill has become law today.”
Assemblyman Tague also thanked Assemblywoman Lupardo for her work getting the bill passed, Commissioner Ball for his help in promoting it, and Governor Hochul for signing this into law.
Assemblyman Tague played a key role in bolstering support for the legislation.
The concept itself has been discussed on his annual Farm Tour, an event that takes a bipartisan group of legislators from the Assembly and Senate to local farms to speak to farmers about their experiences in the industry and how state laws and policies affect their livelihood.
“Connecting the dots between producers, distributors, food banks, and families in need is something we’ve discussed the need for for years with farmers across the state, so this bill’s signing is a tremendous first step toward achieving that goal,” said Assemblyman Tague.
Assemblyman Tague plans to continue this effort by working to get his NY Food Insecurity, Farm Resiliency, and Rural Poverty Initiative (A.6391) bill passed.
The legislation would expand on Nourish New York by providing food banks a means of storing fresh meat and dairy products, while supporting farmers by supplying them with funds to develop their infrastructure and establishing state incentives to encourage the opening of a processing facility for meat and dairy products in New York state.