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Farms to Food Banks awarded grant

July 10, 2009

FRANKFORT - The Kentucky Agricultural Development Board, chaired by Gov. Steve Beshear, approved God's Pantry Food Bank for $10,000 from Bath County, $5,000 each from Fayette, Lincoln and Pulaski Counties, $2,500 each from Clark and Scott Counties, and $30,000 in state Agricultural Development Funds for their Farms to Food Banks project.

"I am committed to ensuring that every Kentuckian has access to safe, local food," said Gov. Beshear. "This 'Farms to Food Banks' project highlights the importance of connecting our farmers and their products to those who are served by food banks around the state."

These funds will be used for the purchase and distribution of 15 types of Kentucky grown surplus produce for low-income clients throughout their 50 county service area in central and eastern Kentucky.

"I am very proud to have sponsored the legislation creating this program. It has a lot of potential for farmers with surplus goods and food banks like God's Pantry, and I'm glad to see how much support it is receiving from the Ag Development Board," said Rep. Tom McKee (D-Cynthiana). "This program certainly has a lot of room for growth as more people find out about it, and it will help farmers get nutritious food to people in need."

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"Times are tough right now, and the people who have been hit the hardest are those who were already struggling before our current economic crisis," said Sen. Ed Worley (D-Richmond). "These funds for God's Pantry will be used to reach some of those who are going through a financial hardship."

"These funds will provide much needed assistance to Kentucky families," said Sen. R.J. Palmer (D-Winchester). "This program also will help farmers, because the funds will be used to purchase Kentucky produce from farmers and produce auctions in the area."

The project was one of the eight proposals approved at the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board's June business meeting.

For more information about the "Farms to Food Banks" project, contact Marian F. Guinn with God's Pantry Food Bank at (859) 288-5311.

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