Dutchess County Fair Food Vendors Donate To Food Banks

RHINEBECK, NY — One of the biggest draws the annual Dutchess County Fair provides — beside the world-class musical acts, the prize-winning livestock and the astounding arts and crafts — is the wide variety of food that is available, from fried Oreos to international cuisine.

One concern over the years was what to do with any food that was left over once the public went home.

That changed this year thanks to local food rescue organizations: Unsold prepared food was being gathered from vendors that was distributed to area food banks, helping to feed those in need.

Volunteers for FeedHV and Red Hook Responds fanned out as the fair wound down Sunday, going to food vendors throughout the 147-acre fairgrounds who had been told about the ability to donate leftovers during the week.

Mary Ann Johnson, deputy director of the Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Development Corporation, told Patch that FeedHV had been thinking for a while of new ways to get more donors.

FeedHV is a regional food rescue and harvesting network operating throughout Dutchess and Ulster counties and the rest of Hudson Valley. According to organizers, it links donors of prepared, but unserved, food and fresh produce with nonprofits and food assistance programs.

Johnson said Dutchess County Fair officials were immediately receptive to the concept of food being donated at the end of the annual event, which is the second-largest county fair in the state, bringing in close to a half million visitors.

The 176th edition of the fair featured about 100 food vendors all across the fairgrounds, including the Grange, 4H and the midway areas.

"The reaction has been fantastic," Johnson said, adding that vendors have been enthusiastic about the program.

About 20 vendors were able to donate produce and salad fixings and protein, including sausages and even London broil.

After Johnson and the volunteers collected the food, they turned it over to Red Hook Responds.

That nonprofit, which coordinates and supports volunteer efforts in the Red Hook area, also operates a food exchange that connects local farms with pantries and runs a dinner delivery service for those in need.

Johnson said Red Hook Responds has the ability to either immediately distribute the food or store it for a few days.

She said they also take individual ingredients and incorporate them into meals.

"The important thing to remember," Johnson said, "is that food insecurity is still an issue.

"Even though people are trying to return to normal, people are still hungry and need some support," she said.

Johnson said, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, local organizations saw increases of 40 to 100 percent of people in need.

"That has backed off," she said, "but there is still an increase in need. The numbers are still up."

Part of the challenge of getting donations is that restaurants have tightened their budgets and don't have as much surplus as before.

The ongoing drought hasn't made things any easier, she said.

"It may turn out to be (the farmers) don't have anything to donate," Johnson said.

Andy Imperati, the CEO/fair manager of the Dutchess County Fair, acknowledged how fortunate the fairgrounds was to be part of the Dutchess County community.

"To work with other nonprofits and be able to give back to our community makes this project especially agreeable," he said.

For Johnson's part, she's pleased with the way the inaugural food donation program turned out.

When asked if it will happen again in 2023, she was quick to respond, "That's certainly our goal."

Patch has partnered with Feeding America since 2020 to help raise awareness of hunger in our local communities, a persistent national problem exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks across the country, estimates that 1 in 8 people face hunger. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations. Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.