FRANKFORT, Ky. — February has traditionally been the month to draw attention to those who suffer from hunger. In Kentucky it is estimated one in six families are food-deficient.

But efforts over the last few years to remedy some of that deficiency have been made through many initiatives including a program call Farm to Food Banks (FFB). A law was passed in the 2009 Kentucky General Assembly creating the program, which takes farmers’ second-tier produce, which is eatable but considered not attractive enough for the grocery shelf, and sends it to the state’s food bank network.

Last year state lawmakers voted to fund FFB to the tune of $600,000 over a two-year period. Revenue for the program has also come through donations and grants from agencies like the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board. The Kentucky Assoc. of Food Banks (KAFB) has distributed that money to farmers in exchange for their produce, which in turn is sent to food banks.

A rally to bring attention to the hunger problem and to recognize FFB along with other hunger prevention-related initiatives recently took place in the Capitol Rotunda with a host of state officials, including Attorney General Jack Conway, Commissioner of Agriculture James Comer, Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes and lawmakers.

Comer is asking state taxpayers to “check the box” on their Kentucky income tax forms for hunger relief. This is the second year of a program that offers taxpayers an opportunity to donate a portion of their refund to the Farms to Food Banks Trust Fund, which is administered by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.

“In a state with abundant natural resources, a strong agriculture industry and a rich food history, no one should go to bed hungry,” said Comer. “The Farms to Food Banks Trust Fund provides vital resources to nonprofits that help Kentuckians in unfortunate circumstances gain access to fresh, nutritious, local foods, while at the same time providing Kentucky farmers a new source of income.”

Last year those donations totaled approximately $41,000. Comer issued a challenge at the event to double that number this year.

Conway’s office sponsors the March Against Hunger campaign, a fundraising event involving private law firms that helps feed hungry children and families, according to information from the KAFB. That agency’s executive director, Tamara Sandberg, said the Trust Fund is another example of a public-private partnership to help fight hunger while helping Kentucky farmers find a place for produce that might have otherwise been left in the field.

“As a result of the funding provided in the budget, the tax checkoff donations and support from other private funders, we were able to help farmers recoup losses for 3 million pounds of produce that would have otherwise likely been plowed under in the field,” she said. “That’s the equivalent of filling half a plate with fruits and vegetables for more than 4.7 million meals.”

While Sandburg is happy with the budget and donations, the agency still ran out of funding in 2014 before running out of farmers who had available produce and before every hungry Kentuckian received fresh produce.

“While we are thrilled and so very grateful for what we got, there is room for even more growth in the future,” she said.

Last year FFB worked with 373 Kentucky farmers who came from 66 state counties with the average pay to these farmers being $1,450.

“But the maximum paid was $18,000,” said Sandburg. “I would love to see that average bump up more, to where we’re paying an average of $18,000 per farmer because that is really when you start to see the impact on these farmers’ bottom line, and really helps their operations to grow.”

That would also mean tremendous growth in the amount of food available to hungry Kentuckians, which includes 1 in 4 children. Sandburg said 1 out of 7 people living in Kentucky seek food assistance from the state’s food bank system each year.

Though that need still exists, Sandburg said Kentucky is becoming a national leader in its efforts to bring relief to the hunger problem thanks to bipartisan support at the government level and continued support from the private sector, as well. For more information, go to www.kafb.org