Food Bank Buys 64,000 Pounds of Farmers Market Produce
Second Harvest Food Bank completed its fourth Market Harvest season at the Wednesday Farmers Market, buying excess produce from local vendors.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Organic Food
Live Poll
Should local governments support programs that buy surplus farm produce for food banks?
Second Harvest Food Bank bought 64,000 pounds of excess produce from more than 30 local vendors this season through its Market Harvest program at the Wednesday Farmers Market. The purchases are distributed to families in need across Madison, Sun Prairie and Middleton.
Why it matters
The program takes produce that vendors do not sell and puts it to use in the food bank's daily offerings while supporting the local agricultural economy. Since its inception, the program has returned $750,000 to the local economy through produce purchases.
Second Harvest bought 64,000 pounds of excess produce this season from over 30 local vendors, bringing its total purchases since launch to more than 200,000 pounds. The source does not break down the cumulative figure by season or detail how the volume compares with overall distribution.
The players
Second Harvest Food Bank
A Madison-area food bank that serves Madison, Sun Prairie and Middleton and runs the Market Harvest produce-purchasing program.
The details
Second Harvest Food Bank purchases excess produce that farmers market vendors do not sell, and the purchased produce is distributed to families in need. The food bank also reported that it was vandalized overnight, shortly before the season wrap-up was announced.
Timeline
Fourth Market Harvest season completed, 2026
Season wrap-up at the Wednesday Farmers Market, November 4, 2026
Vandalism reported overnight prior to publication
Market Landscape
Surplus-purchasing programs like Market Harvest turn produce that would otherwise go unsold into food-bank inventory and farmer revenue. The model connects farmers market vendors directly to regional food banks rather than relying only on donated product.
Residents who shop at the Wednesday Farmers Market can see their purchases support local food access as vendors sell surplus to the food bank. Families in Madison, Sun Prairie and Middleton may benefit from the produce distributed through the program.
The takeaway
Buying from local farmers markets can ripple beyond the individual purchase, since surplus sold to food banks keeps produce in the community. Shoppers can check whether their market participates in similar surplus programs.
Further reading
For more on local produce and sourcing, explore Organic Food coverage.
Live Poll
Should local governments support programs that buy surplus farm produce for food banks?
