Albion Central School District’s Future Farmers of America (FFA) once again led a successful Food Drive this year.
On Saturday, Dec. 6, students in both the high school and middle school FFA were joined by staff and community members bright and early to sort and package a total of 37,000 pounds of produce and food. Once loaded onto trucks and trailers, the group traveled to the Community Action of Orleans & Genesee to deliver the food for distribution to local food pantries.
Event preparation and organization is entirely student-driven with guidance from club advisors. Students work directly with local farms to seek out donations, facilitate pick up and drop off and manage all logistics.
“The food drive is always a team effort and one of the biggest responsibilities we take on as officers,” said Kaitlynn Basinait, 12th grader and FFA President. “Everyone stepped up, communicated, and took responsibility, and that made the event run smoothly.”
The annual event began in 2010 with 3,000 pounds of donations recorded. The largest donation record was set in 2020 with 53,000 pounds of food donated. Last year’s drive totaled 45,000 pounds.This growing season, farmers had to navigate drought conditions, which contributed to the decline, but it did not stop local farms from generously providing what they could.
Thank you to the following partner farms for their donations:
Nesbitt farm with apples, Poverty Hill Farms (Neal family) with butter, Charlie Swan with butter, Panek’s with winter squash and use of their semi truck, Partyka’s with potatoes, East Farms with canned goods, Kirby’s farm Market with apples, Root Brothers with cabbage, Rush’s with potatoes, Preston’s with apples, Kludt’s with squash, My-T Acres with potatoes and canned goods, Brightly’s with apples and squash, Triple G with onions and potatoes, CY Farms with onions, Stymus Farms with potatoes, Circle R with apples, Lynn-Ette and Sons with cabbage, Hurd Orchards with apples, Martin Farms with winter squash, Orleans County Farm Bureau with a monetary donation for hams and turkeys, Heberle Farms with apples, Sungrow (formerly Intergrow) with tomatoes, Kreher’s with eggs, Halylett farms with monetary donation for canned goods, and Lake Ontario Fruit with boxes for packing.
Albion’s FFA chapter was established in 1927 and allows for members to improve their leadership skills and expand their agricultural knowledge through community-centered, hands-on learning experiences.
“We gain confidence, build strong friendships, and develop real-life skills that will stay with us long after high school,” said Basinait. “FFA teaches us the value of hard work and working together toward goals that matter. It’s more than a club—it’s a community that helps us become the best versions of ourselves.”