students and helper pose behind pallet of food

Albion Central School District’s Future Farmers of America’s (FFA) annual food drive was back and growing this year.

This past Saturday, students in both the high school and middle school FFA were joined by staff and community members to sort and package more than 47,000 pounds of produce and food. Once loaded, the group traveled to Orleans County Community Action to deliver the food which will be distributed throughout the county to those in need. Assemblyman Steve Hawley and Community Action staff joined the students to help unload and sort the produce.

Items donated included apples, onions, cabbage, beans, squash, eggs, potatoes and hams. The Albion FFA would like to thank the following for their generous support: Torrey Farms, Mighty Acres, Kludt Brothers, Poverty Hill Farm, Rush’s, John Star, Orchard Dale, Kast Farms, Save-A-Lot/Farm Bureau, Triple G Farm, Nesbitt’s Apples, Lynn-Ette and Sons, Root Brothers, Panek’s, Martin Farms, Kreher Family Farms, Stymus Farms and Bentley Brothers.

The annual food drive is an important event for the students as they learn to communicate with partner farms, organize the large number of items and give back to their local community in need. Donations have grown nearly every year since beginning in 2010 with 3,000 pounds. This year’s 47,236 pounds is just shy of the record of 53,000 pounds of food gathered and donated in 2020.