Artist Turns to Farming and Everyone Eats

Patrons at soup kitchens and food pantries probably don’t realize it, but depending on the day, they may be dining on some of the region’s most expensively produced fare—meat and vegetables from Dan Colen, a Hudson Valley farmer who donates his entire output to several local food banks.

Mr. Colen, a New York artist better known for his big-ticket paintings and sculptures, spent $215,000 last year operating his spread, putting out 10,000 pounds of meat, chicken and eggs, along with 14,500 pounds of fruit and vegetables.

While the beef and pork costs a lot more to produce than the carrots and beets, the overall average production cost is $8.75 a pound. If he donated that $215,000, those dollars might buy a lot more food.