• The United States produces 356 billion pounds of food annually. Of this annual total, 96 billion pounds is lost between production and consumption every year. This translates into 27 percent of the American food supply (Kantor et al. 1997).
• The 96 billion pounds of wasted food could easily feed the 38 million people considered food-insecure in America (Nord et al. 2004).
• Twelve percent of farm fresh produce is never made commercially available due to factors almost completely unrelated to nutritional quality (Jones 2005).
• In Vermont 55,000 individuals are classified as food insecure (State of the States 2005).
• Over 10,000 households are served by food shelves in Vermont each month
• Over 11,000 children are served by food shelves in Vermont each month, an increase of 21% in two years.
• Community kitchens are serving an average of over 22,000 meals per month in Vermont
  

According to America’s Second Harvest Quarterly Poundage Report and 2004 Network Activity Report, the number of Vermont families accessing the Food Stamp Program is increasing; the number of Vermont WIC participants is increasing; the number of Vermont children accessing the School Breakfast Program is increasing and more Vermonters are accessing the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Hunger in Vermont isn’t going away.

Because fresh food is expensive, highly perishable and requires delicate handling, the amount of fresh food available at emergency food sites is minimal; the USDA has found that only 19% of those living below the federal poverty level are consuming the recommended daily servings of fruit and vegetables. This fact becomes even more disturbing when we remember the billions of pounds of healthy and wholesome produce that are left behind in farmers’ fields. Vermont is famous for its agriculture. Salvation Farms works specifically to reduce the amount of locally grown produce left in the fields of our farmers and increase the amount of farm fresh food that reaches those who are food and/or nutritionally insecure. Salvation Farms work gives all Vermonters, regardless of their financial status, an increased quality of life by way of increased access to quality food.

Sources:
- State of the States 2005: Vermont, 2005. Food Research and Action Center. Available at www.frac.org/State_of_States/2005/VT.pdf
- Jones, T. 2005 “Food Loss on the Farm” Biocycle 46(9):44-46
- Kantor, L., K. Lipton, A. Manchester and V. Oliveira. 1997 “Estimating and Addressing America’s Food Losses” Food Review 20:3-11
- Nord, M., Andrews, M. and Carlston, S. 2004 Household Food Security in the United States, 2004, 2005. ERR11, USDA Economic
Research Service. Available at www.ers.usda.gov