New York Upgrades Nourish NY Portal to Connect Food Buyers

By Blake Jackson

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets has introduced a redesigned Nourish New York portal aimed at strengthening connections between New York farmers and organizations that purchase locally produced food.

The updated platform marks another milestone for the Nourish New York program as it approaches five years since becoming part of New York State law.

The enhanced portal features a more user-friendly interface, allowing businesses to create profiles, improve product listings, and use advanced search filters. Organizations can now search for products by category, location, product type, and certifications, including Kosher, Halal, and New York State Grown & Certified products.

The improvements are expected to make it easier for farmers and food organizations, including schools and emergency food providers, to find and source New York-grown products.

“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," Commissioner Richard A. Ball said.

"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.”

Originally launched in May 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, Nourish New York was established to help emergency food providers purchase products directly from New York farmers and producers. The program became permanent in November 2021.

Since its inception, nearly $340 million has been invested in the initiative. Food banks across the state have purchased more than 174 million pounds of New York food, resulting in the distribution of over 145 million meals to families in need.

The redesigned portal further supports the state's commitment to strengthening local agriculture, improving the food supply chain, and expanding access to fresh, locally produced food.

The new portal is now available at https://nourish.ny.gov/search.

Photo Credit: getty-images-eric-ferguson