Albion FFA delivers 45K pounds of produce donated by farmers to food pantries

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Albion FFA today delivered 45,000 pounds of produce donated by local farmers to Community Action of Orleans & Genesee, and other local food pantries.

The top photo shows FFA members Loralei Gailie, Logan Scott and Jimmy Harris moving a big box of squash to a tractor trailer outside the Ag Shop at the high school.

“It’s helping the community,” said Harris, a senior who arrived at 7:10 this morning to load up the food.

About 20 Albion FFA members helped with the food drive, calling local farmers and arranging for pickups and deliveries of the food.

FFA members are pictured next to three vehicles filled with food before the delivery to Community Action at about 9 this morning.

The donors include Panek’s, Circle R, Lynn-Ette and Sons, Preston’s, Van Lieshout’s, Heberle, Nesbitt’s, Brightly’s, Kludt’s, Orchard Dale, Kreher’s, Intergrow Greenhouses (Sungrow), Save A Lot, Root Brothers, Martin Farms, My-T Acres, Poverty Hill, Partyka’s, Orleans County Farm Bureau, Lamb’s, CY Farms, Torrey Farms, Hu-Lane Farm, Kirby’s, Kirby’s Cider Mill, Barilla, Triple G, Farm Fresh First LLC, Margaret and Charlie Swan, Peter Gaylard, Christ Farms, Kast Farms and Haylett Farm Enterprises.

FFA President Kaitlynn Basinait, right, and FFA secretary Kaitlin Bennett carry a sack of cabbage.

Basinait said farmers were very generous this year, even though many suffered big losses from hail storms. Those farms still contributed to the effort. Other farms who didn’t lose crops to hail stepped up even more knowing some of their farming neighbors didn’t have as much to give this food drive, Bennett said.

“The hail storm hurt several of the farmers,” she said.

The 45,000 pounds topped last year’s drive with 37,000 pounds.

The FFA started the food drive in 2010 with 3,000 pounds in the first effort. The food drive record is 53,000 pounds in 2020.

Bennett said the FFA is proud to facilitate the food drive every year.

“It makes my heart feel happy,” she said.

FFA members Matthew Bloom and Hailey Lonnen fill boxes with Pink Lady apples.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley helped unload the vehicles this morning. He has attended the food drive delivery for many years.

Community Action and other volunteers from local food pantries helped sort and move the food on a chilly morning at the Community Action site on East State Street.

The food is shared with about 20 different food pantries, churches and other organizations in Orleans County.

Barry Flansburg is one of several Albion FFA alumni who help with the food drive each year. Pete Gaylard from the Albion Central School buildings and grounds moves a pallet for of tomatoes into a tractor trailer from Panek Farms.