Princeton NJ Non-Profit Press Releases

Mercer Street Friends Part of Statewide Partnership to Distribute Fresh NJ-Grown Produce to Residents in Need

Initiative brings together America’s Grow-a-Row, Mid-Atlantic Regional Cooperative and all five Feeding America NJ food banks

PITTSTOWN, N.J. – Leaders from across New Jersey gathered at America’s Grow-a-Row’s farm located in Pittstown, NJ to highlight an innovative statewide collaboration designed to fight hunger with fresh, locally grown produce. The effort, a partnership between America’s Grow-a-Row, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Cooperative (MARC) and all five Feeding America New Jersey food banks, ensures free, NJ-grown fruits and vegetables reach every corner of the state, where one in nine residents faces food insecurity.

The event brought together partners and state officials including New Jersey Assembly Speaker Craig J. Coughlin, New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Edward D. Wengryn, New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate Executive Director Mark Dinglasan, Assemblyman Erik Peterson (R-Hunterdon) and the leaders of all five food banks – Community FoodBank of New Jersey, Food Bank of South Jersey, Fulfill, Mercer Street Friends and Norwescap – to harvest apples and load the produce onto food bank trucks.

At the heart of the initiative is free fresh produce from America’s Grow-a-Row (AGAR), New Jersey’s largest nonprofit farm, logistical expertise from the MARC and the distribution network of all five New Jersey Feeding America Food Banks. The partnership ensures neighbors facing food insecurity have greater access to healthy fruits and vegetables.

“This initiative demonstrates the power of partnership,” said Chip Paillex, President and Founder of AGAR. “This collaboration is a united effort to fight hunger with dignity and sustainability. We are ensuring that more of the food we grow right here in New Jersey stays in New Jersey – reaching residents who need it most.”

The partnership, developed by the food banks and AGAR, will keep more than 2.3 million pounds of produce – equivalent to 9 million servings – in state this year alone, and addresses both distribution and logistics challenges to create a more sustainable model.

Speaker Coughlin praised the effort, noting, “Access to healthy food is a basic human right, and there is urgent need in New Jersey for access to fresh, locally-grown fruits and vegetables. This initiative proves when organizations work together, we can deliver innovative and tangible solutions to fight food insecurity in New Jersey.”

Additional benefits of the partnership include the MARC’s ability to sort and package mixed produce loads so the food banks and the pantries they serve receive both quality and a variety of produce, as well as aggregated reporting for transparency and performance tracking.

“Fresh fruits and vegetables are essential for good health, yet they are often the hardest items for families facing hunger to access,” said Elizabeth McCarthy, President & CEO of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. “This partnership brings nutritious food directly to neighbors who need it most, and it gives all of us hope for a healthier, stronger New Jersey.”