600,000 pounds of produce heads to food banks across the state

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- More than 600,000 pounds of locally grown produce has left Fresno County, headed to food banks across the state.

The drought is all to real for Valley farmers and residents. Wednesday, they united as "California Water Feeds Our Communities," a group aimed at helping others by donating boxes of locally grown produce to food banks across the state.

Kym Dildine with the Community Food Bank said, "Every food bank we've spoken to is really grateful to be receiving an entire truckload of fresh produce right here from the Valley. Because there is less fruit available, they're having a harder time accessing it outside of our area."

Fifteen trucks were filled with boxes of food. The food will go to Valley communities like Merced and Bakersfield, but will head as far away as Salinas and San Diego.

Gayle Holman with the Westlands Water District said, "The food that we grow here extends far and wide. In fact most people don't even realize the food they may be eating in other parts of the state, or across the United States, actually originates here."

The group hopes to bring attention to the impact of the drought and how far reaching it is. In the Valley alone, hundreds have stood in drought relief lines in need of food.

Sarah Woolf, one of many volunteers said, "We've been able to provide a lot of produce to the Fresno County Food Bank that has been providing all of those, helping out those lines for drought relief and we'll continue to support the food bank. This was just one small aspect of how we're trying to help food banks across the state."

And farmers say they hope the food nourishes Californians, while connecting them to how serious the drought is.

Bill Diedrich added, "It's also to bring attention to the fact that an unreliable water supply jeopardizes our food security."

This is the first time "California Water Feeds Our Community" has donated boxes of food to food banks across the state. With the ongoing drought, they say they'll donate again.