Farm Credit Associations Team Up to Support Federation of Virginia Food Banks

Colonial Farm Credit, MidAtlantic Farm Credit, and Farm Credit of the Virginias made a collaborative sponsorship totaling $50,000 to the Federation of Virginia Foods Banks to support their participation in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farmers to Families Food Box Program.

The Farmers to Families Food Box Program was established by the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) to support producers negatively impacted by the pandemic. More than 75 million food boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products and meat products have been distributed to food insecure families in the United States. The collaborative donation made by the three Virginia Farm Credit associations will fund the Federation of Virginia Food Banks’ transportation and cold storage expenses associated with the Farmers to Families Food Box Program.

Eddie Oliver, Federation of Virginia Food Banks Executive Director, shared, “Time and again our partners at Farm Credit have stepped up to the plate and supported our work in meaningful ways. Partners like Farm Credit are essential to our work in the state. With their help and support we are able to better ensure that Virginian’s have access to healthy meals year-round.”

Colonial Farm Credit Chief Information Officer, Jim Belfield, said, “At Farm Credit, our mission is to support agriculture and our rural communities. Partnering with the Federation of Virginia Food Banks and their hunger-relief efforts in the commonwealth allows us to ensure nutritious meals are available to food insecure families in our region while supporting the farmers who supply healthy, fresh products.”

Check out the following video announcing the donation: https://youtu.be/0H-gVq3uW-o

About the Farm Credit System

The Farm Credit System is a national network of lending institutions that collectively provide a wide range of financial and lending services to rural America.  Farm Credit institutions are cooperatives, capitalized largely through investments made by farmers, ranchers and the rural businesses that borrow from them. In fact, as part of a nationwide network they are the largest single provider of agricultural credit in the United States and has been for over 100 years.   Farm Credit helps maintain and improve the quality of life in rural America and on the farm through its constant commitment to competitive lending and expert financial services.