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During harvest season, every day looks a little different for Jason Yarrington and his team.

As the Director of Warehouse Operations at the Food Bank, Jason said it’s common to get between 400 and 900 pounds of produce in a single delivery from a local farm – especially during harvest season, the warehouse’s busiest time of the year.

Getting that abundance of fresh, local produce to families and individuals experiencing hunger requires teamwork and a wide network of local farms across the Southern Tier, as well as Food Bank drivers, warehouse staff, sourcing staff, volunteers, and partner agencies.

“It’s a lot of volume to get in and out. Production is very busy,” Jason said. “They do a great job.”

Jason, who has been director of Warehouse Operations for four years, said they often don’t know how much donated food is coming in until the truck arrives at the warehouse. To keep the produce fresh and get it back into the community as soon as possible, preparation and communication is key.

“You have to be on your game. There’s a lot of moving pieces. You have to play those pieces at the right time and in the right spot to make everything flow,” Jason said.

Any produce harvested during the weekend, for example, goes through a fast-paced process that Jason and his team have optimized over the course of many harvest seasons.

Produce is picked up first thing on Monday and brought back to the warehouse, where staff and volunteers store, process, and package it for ordering by partner pantries and programs. By Thursday or Friday, that produce is back in the community and in the hands of those who need it.

It’s a win-win for everyone. Partner farms like Mandeville Farms and Reeves Farms have a dependable buyer in the Food Bank, while children, families, and individuals who are experiencing financial hardship get nutritious food from the pantry or Kids’ Farmers Market in their community.

Jason’s favorite part of the hectic but rewarding harvest season? Hearing how excited kids get about the sweet corn, plums, and other items they may not have otherwise.

“Being in Upstate New York, we don’t have that kind of produce all year round, so it’s nice to get it for the short two or three months that we can get it and turn it around and make kids and families happy,” he said.

When you support the Food Bank, you’re helping make this incredible effort possible. Your generosity is a vital part of the network that ensures children, families, and older adults have access to fresh, healthy food when they need it most.

Your support helps keep fresh, nutritious food moving from local farms to the tables of neighbors across the Southern Tier—[give today].