State Agriculture Department Announces Newly Revamped Nourish New...

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets today announced the launch of the newly revamped Nourish New York portal to better connect New York’s food organizations to New York farmers. This comes as the program, which was launched as an emergency relief program during the pandemic, celebrates being codified in New York State law for nearly five years. The new portal offers improved user interface, including the ability to create a business profile, enhanced search tools, and expanded product descriptions, making it even easier for farmers and food organizations to list and search for New York products.

Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “The Nourish NY program was created to serve as a critical pipeline getting food from our farms to people in need during the pandemic through our network of emergency food providers. As we approach the fifth anniversary of the program being codified in state law, there’s no better way to celebrate its impact than by launching a new portal that will make it even easier to get fresh, delicious New York food on tables across the state. This initiative is a no brainer, providing meals to families in need across the state while ensuring our farmers right here in New York remain our first and best customers.”

State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, "Thanks to Governor Hochul’s leadership, Nourish New York continues to be a transformative investment in the health and well-being of New Yorkers. This program not only puts fresh, nutritious food on the tables of families in need, but also supports the farmers who are the backbone of our state’s food supply. We are proud to support an initiative that delivers measurable impact and strengthens communities across New York."

The Nourish New York initiative provides funding directly to the state's emergency food providers to help them directly buy products from the state's farmers and producers and distribute them to New York consumers who need them most. The program, which was launched in May 2020 as an emergency relief program during the COVID-19 pandemic, was permanently codified into state law in November 2021. Since the program’s launch in May 2020, nearly $340 million has been committed to Nourish New York. Through this multi-agency effort, New York's food banks have purchased over 174 million pounds of New York food products, which equates to over 145 million meals distributed to families in need.

Tom Nardacci, Regional Food Bank CEO, said, “The Nourish New York program has become a wonderful asset for New York Farmers, local food pantries and soup kitchens, and most importantly, for New Yorkers dealing with food insecurity. Since its creation, in response to the Covid pandemic, Nourish New York has connected support from Governor Kathy Hochul, and our state leaders, to New York growers and producers to feed New Yorkers who do not always know where their next meal is coming from. This new portal is another example of the investment New York is making to connect local food to local neighbors in need.”

Ciara O'Brien, Long Island Cares Government Relations and Advocacy Manager said, “The Nourish New York program is a vital investment in both the health of food-insecure New Yorkers and the success of New York's farmers. By connecting farmers directly with food banks, the program strengthens our local food system while ensuring that nutritious food reaches the people who need it most. Since the program’s launch in 2020, Long Island Cares has distributed nearly eight million pounds of fresh produce, dairy, and animal proteins through Nourish New York funding—equating to more than 6.6 million meals for food-insecure Long Islanders. The launch of this revamped portal will make it easier for food banks to connect with local producers and farmers, expanding access to fresh New York-grown foods while strengthening these important partnerships.”

Brian McManus, Food Bank of New York Chief Operating Officer said, “Nourish New York has been an effective program for strengthening the emergency food supply while also investing in New York agriculture by reinforcing our local food system. The program benefits all New Yorkers—we want our farms and food producers to be prosperous and successful. The new Nourish New York portal will expand the impact of the program by making it easier to connect with producers across the state and helping organizations like ours reach an increasing number of farms. These stronger connections ultimately mean more New York-grown food reaching neighbors in need.”

Les Aylesworth, Director of Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse, Broome County Council of Churches, said "When Nourish NY came out during the pandemic, it was a lifesaver for farmers, emergency food programs and most importantly those struggling with food insecurity.  The program allowed us to acquire nutritious locally sourced NYS product, that is in high demand and often hard to come by and to form relationships with farmers that continue to this day. On behalf of the communities we serve, we are incredibly grateful for Nourish NY and look forward to these enhancements, which will help us in our pursuit to stop hunger."

The Nourish New York portal was first launched to help connect New York farmers, and producers, to emergency food organizations. The revamped site has made significant improvements for a better user experience facilitating more connections between New York farmers and New York emergency food providers and other organizations purchasing New York food products, such as schools. Users can now search for Nourish New York approved products by category, location, product types, and certifications, including Kosher and Halal-certified products as well as producers participating in the NYS Grown & Certified program. Additionally, businesses can now create a profile and list all the products that they offer, as well as have the opportunity to provide greater detail for each product. The new portal can be accessed at nourish.ny.gov/search.

These investments are a part of the state’s overall commitment to boost demand for New York agricultural products, bolster New York's food supply chain and ensure all New Yorkers can access fresh, local foods. In October 2025, Governor Hochul announced an $25 million in new funding for Nourish NY as part of $106 million in funds fast tracked by the Governor to assist with food needs following the federal government shutdown and in response to senseless cuts by the Trump administration. 

Additionally, Governor Hochul recently announced that nearly 1.6 million low-income children have already received summer food assistance totaling $189 million as part of the 2026 Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (Summer EBT) program, which provides helps families pay for food during the summer, when students lose access to free school meals. 

This year’s Executive Budget also includes continued investment in Nourish New York and other programs that bolster New York’s local food system, including funding for the Farm-to-School, Farmers’ Market Resiliency, and Urban Farms and Community Gardens programs, and more.