Beef industry helps in the fight against hunger
by Tommy Noel
POCATELLO - Idaho's beef industry is helping in the fight against hunger.
Over 3,000 pounds of beef were donated to the Idaho Foodbank, courtesy of Beef Counts.
This will help feed the 116,000 people who depend on free emergency food each month.
The cattle industry-food bank partnership is the only one of its kind in the country.
"Protein is one of the things the Foodbank lacks in a big way. Today, the Foodbank can only give about five pounds a month to every family that they service. This is going to go a long ways to increase that in a significant way, and this is just the beginning," says Rick Stott of Agri Beef Co.
In addition to the beef, a $50,000 check was donated by Agri Beef Company.
The meat will now be distributed to the Foodbank's 78 partner agencies, such as the Salvation Army and various senior citizen centers. Link
The headline says it all. The beef industry is helping fight hunger, just like the farmers and ranchers that produce every other type of commodity that the human existence relies on. I’ve been proud to be involved in volunteering at food banks across the United States and there is no doubt that they serve an important need. It was especially apparent when the economy started to fall a few years ago. Many folks who lost their jobs needed some temporary help to put food on their table. Every time you volunteer at one of these food banks it’s a great reminder about what’s truly important and where our priorities should be.
Showing posts with label donating food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label donating food. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Million Meals Program
Indiana Pork Producers Make Timely Donation of Pork
12/15/2009
Hoosier Ag Today
As the holidays and the economy conspire to drive the need for emergency food assistance, Gleaners is struggling to meet the needs of local families. Holiday meals with candles are a pretty vision, but not the reality for thousands of hungry Hoosiers. Right now Gleaners is struggling to keep up with its charities requests for more food. That‘s why donations, like the one made Tuesday by the Indiana Pork Producers, are critical at this time.
Indiana Pork, in partnership with Feeding Indiana‘s Hungry, Inc. and the Indiana Soybean Alliance, donated 5,000 pounds of ground pork to Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, Inc. on Tuesday. The donation was part of approximately 250,000 pounds of pork earmarked for Indiana through an ongoing campaign for Indiana pork producers and industry partners to fund a program to donate pork products to Hoosiers experiencing hunger.
The Million Meals program is designed to help thousands of Hoosier families with one of their most essential needs - high quality protein. The lofty goal of the campaign is to provide one million ground pork meals per year, throughout the year, to those in need. These pork meals will be distributed statewide through the nine food bank members of Feeding Indiana‘s Hungry, Inc., Indiana‘s statewide network of food banks.
"Indiana donations of pork products have been in place for decades, however, this is the first time the Indiana pork industry is tackling the problem of hunger on a coordinated statewide basis," said Randy Curless, Indiana Pork President. "We are excited about the partnership with the Indiana Soybean Alliance on this particular donation as it highlights the important connection between Indiana‘s livestock and grain farmers."
"Indiana pork producers saw the need in the state and they came to us with a plan to provide one million pork meals per year," said Emily Weikert Bryant, Executive Director of Feeding Indiana‘s Hungry. "They‘ve always been generous but this really couldn‘t have come at a better time for our member food banks. We couldn‘t be prouder of our association with Indiana Pork and its partners in delivering the Million Meals program." Read More
I had the good fortune to be part of a group that volunteered some time at the Gleaners Food Bank in Indianapolis while we were there for the National FFA Convention. Having been to several food banks in large cities, it never ceases to amaze me how much these groups accomplish with so few resources. Along with that, they are so grateful for any help. The demands being place on food banks by hungry families have increased dramatically with the downturn of the economy. Farmers and ranchers not only care about their livestock, but they also care about their neighbors. Please donate time or any other resources you can.
12/15/2009
Hoosier Ag Today
As the holidays and the economy conspire to drive the need for emergency food assistance, Gleaners is struggling to meet the needs of local families. Holiday meals with candles are a pretty vision, but not the reality for thousands of hungry Hoosiers. Right now Gleaners is struggling to keep up with its charities requests for more food. That‘s why donations, like the one made Tuesday by the Indiana Pork Producers, are critical at this time.
Indiana Pork, in partnership with Feeding Indiana‘s Hungry, Inc. and the Indiana Soybean Alliance, donated 5,000 pounds of ground pork to Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, Inc. on Tuesday. The donation was part of approximately 250,000 pounds of pork earmarked for Indiana through an ongoing campaign for Indiana pork producers and industry partners to fund a program to donate pork products to Hoosiers experiencing hunger.
The Million Meals program is designed to help thousands of Hoosier families with one of their most essential needs - high quality protein. The lofty goal of the campaign is to provide one million ground pork meals per year, throughout the year, to those in need. These pork meals will be distributed statewide through the nine food bank members of Feeding Indiana‘s Hungry, Inc., Indiana‘s statewide network of food banks.
"Indiana donations of pork products have been in place for decades, however, this is the first time the Indiana pork industry is tackling the problem of hunger on a coordinated statewide basis," said Randy Curless, Indiana Pork President. "We are excited about the partnership with the Indiana Soybean Alliance on this particular donation as it highlights the important connection between Indiana‘s livestock and grain farmers."
"Indiana pork producers saw the need in the state and they came to us with a plan to provide one million pork meals per year," said Emily Weikert Bryant, Executive Director of Feeding Indiana‘s Hungry. "They‘ve always been generous but this really couldn‘t have come at a better time for our member food banks. We couldn‘t be prouder of our association with Indiana Pork and its partners in delivering the Million Meals program." Read More
I had the good fortune to be part of a group that volunteered some time at the Gleaners Food Bank in Indianapolis while we were there for the National FFA Convention. Having been to several food banks in large cities, it never ceases to amaze me how much these groups accomplish with so few resources. Along with that, they are so grateful for any help. The demands being place on food banks by hungry families have increased dramatically with the downturn of the economy. Farmers and ranchers not only care about their livestock, but they also care about their neighbors. Please donate time or any other resources you can.
Monday, November 30, 2009
What I Did On My Thanksgiving Vacation
On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, our friends from PETA held a protest in downtown Rapid City. Their goal was to show people that dairy cows are being abused by the farmers that own them. In addition to this, they were going to be wastefully dumping milk and encouraging everyone else to throw out their dairy products.
With only 24 hours notice, I was able to get several area ranchers to show up for the protest to make ourselves available for media interviews to share the true story of livestock production. Along with that, several ag organizations committed to donating milk to the local food pantry in response. In fact, so far there have been over 1000 gallons of milk (updated as of 12/8/09)committed for donation to food banks in South Dakota. Even though it turned out they weren’t dumping real milk, it’s reckless and irresponsible to suggest that people should waste food when there are some right here in our community that struggle to provide food for their families.
Even though none of the ranchers at the protest were dairy producers, they still showed up to let people know that the things PETA was saying weren’t accurate. I have friends that dairy and have been luck enough to tour several dairies all across the country. I have never seen the abuse and neglect that PETA claims is running rampant at these family farms.
Besides that, the things they were claiming didn’t even make sense. In fact Virginia Fort, the PETA representative at the protest, claimed that since we lived n the 21st century, we no longer needed to utilize any resources that livestock provide us. When asked where our food would come from, she claimed we could be farming the land that cows are currently grazing. I was proud of my brother-in-law when he countered with the question, “So you want us breaking up pristine, native rangeland to start farming it?” Her response was priceless. She said, we might as well break it up because we are letting cows poop on it anyhow. I asked if I could get her on video with that comment and a look of horror crossed her face. She said absolutely not, since she was realizing that she had said something more ridiculous than the standard claims they make.
At that point she declined to visit with us anymore. But as with everything you do in life, there are lessons to be learned. The first lesson is that we have to view these types of things as opportunities to teach people about agriculture. If we hadn’t been there, all of the local media would only have talked to the PETA protesters. Instead, almost without exception, more attention was given to the local farmers and ranchers and their stories than was given to the protesters. Along with that, through the donations to the food bank, we emphasized that not only do we care about our livestock, but we also care about our neighbors that live in our rural communities in South Dakota.
The other lesson that needs to be shared is that these protesters knew nothing about dairy production other than what was printed on their handouts. When we tried to have a conversation about what they were saying, they couldn’t do it. It drives home the point that farmers and ranchers are the experts. We are the ones with the first-hand, lifetime knowledge about agriculture. With modesty to a fault, it’s hard for most of us to go out and tell people that, but we need to. Our consumers want to go to a trusted source for their information about food production. We need to make sure that everyone knows we are the trusted source.
So the next time something like this happens in your region, treat it like an opportunity to tell your story. Agriculture was a big winner last Wednesday in South Dakota and it’s because PETA helped us do it.
Click here for some video of the event.
With only 24 hours notice, I was able to get several area ranchers to show up for the protest to make ourselves available for media interviews to share the true story of livestock production. Along with that, several ag organizations committed to donating milk to the local food pantry in response. In fact, so far there have been over 1000 gallons of milk (updated as of 12/8/09)committed for donation to food banks in South Dakota. Even though it turned out they weren’t dumping real milk, it’s reckless and irresponsible to suggest that people should waste food when there are some right here in our community that struggle to provide food for their families.
Even though none of the ranchers at the protest were dairy producers, they still showed up to let people know that the things PETA was saying weren’t accurate. I have friends that dairy and have been luck enough to tour several dairies all across the country. I have never seen the abuse and neglect that PETA claims is running rampant at these family farms.
Besides that, the things they were claiming didn’t even make sense. In fact Virginia Fort, the PETA representative at the protest, claimed that since we lived n the 21st century, we no longer needed to utilize any resources that livestock provide us. When asked where our food would come from, she claimed we could be farming the land that cows are currently grazing. I was proud of my brother-in-law when he countered with the question, “So you want us breaking up pristine, native rangeland to start farming it?” Her response was priceless. She said, we might as well break it up because we are letting cows poop on it anyhow. I asked if I could get her on video with that comment and a look of horror crossed her face. She said absolutely not, since she was realizing that she had said something more ridiculous than the standard claims they make.
At that point she declined to visit with us anymore. But as with everything you do in life, there are lessons to be learned. The first lesson is that we have to view these types of things as opportunities to teach people about agriculture. If we hadn’t been there, all of the local media would only have talked to the PETA protesters. Instead, almost without exception, more attention was given to the local farmers and ranchers and their stories than was given to the protesters. Along with that, through the donations to the food bank, we emphasized that not only do we care about our livestock, but we also care about our neighbors that live in our rural communities in South Dakota.
The other lesson that needs to be shared is that these protesters knew nothing about dairy production other than what was printed on their handouts. When we tried to have a conversation about what they were saying, they couldn’t do it. It drives home the point that farmers and ranchers are the experts. We are the ones with the first-hand, lifetime knowledge about agriculture. With modesty to a fault, it’s hard for most of us to go out and tell people that, but we need to. Our consumers want to go to a trusted source for their information about food production. We need to make sure that everyone knows we are the trusted source.
So the next time something like this happens in your region, treat it like an opportunity to tell your story. Agriculture was a big winner last Wednesday in South Dakota and it’s because PETA helped us do it.
Click here for some video of the event.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Food Bank Donation
October 27, 2009
Half-ton of pork donated
CentralOhio.com
BUCYRUS - Pat and Duane Hord of Hord Livestock recently delivered 1,070 pounds of ground pork to the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank.
The effort, "Pork Power: Partnering to Fight Hunger in Ohio," is a partnership between the Ohio Pork Producers Council, the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks, the Ohio Association of Meat Processors and the Ohio Corn Marketing Program. These groups hope to provide 100,000 pounds, or 500,000 servings, of pork through April 30. Food will be distributed through 12 Ohio food banks.
The program began Sept. 22 and has donated more than 5,000 pounds of pork.
"The Hord family has been a part of Crawford, Marion and surrounding communities, dating back to the 1800s," Pat Hord said. "We have always made it our practice to help our community members in any way possible. We are proud to have the opportunity to be partnering with the Ohio Pork Producers Council in this effort to fight hunger in Ohio. Read More
More and more families in our communities are relying on food banks for their next meal due to the tough economic times across the country. Demand at food banks has risen dramatically in the past two years unfortunately. If there is anything that rural America does well though, they know the importance of taking care of their neighbors. So many times you will see farmers and ranchers donating part of their harvest to help out their friends and neighbors that need it. It’s just one of the great things you can expect from rural America.
Half-ton of pork donated
CentralOhio.com
BUCYRUS - Pat and Duane Hord of Hord Livestock recently delivered 1,070 pounds of ground pork to the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank.
The effort, "Pork Power: Partnering to Fight Hunger in Ohio," is a partnership between the Ohio Pork Producers Council, the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks, the Ohio Association of Meat Processors and the Ohio Corn Marketing Program. These groups hope to provide 100,000 pounds, or 500,000 servings, of pork through April 30. Food will be distributed through 12 Ohio food banks.
The program began Sept. 22 and has donated more than 5,000 pounds of pork.
"The Hord family has been a part of Crawford, Marion and surrounding communities, dating back to the 1800s," Pat Hord said. "We have always made it our practice to help our community members in any way possible. We are proud to have the opportunity to be partnering with the Ohio Pork Producers Council in this effort to fight hunger in Ohio. Read More
More and more families in our communities are relying on food banks for their next meal due to the tough economic times across the country. Demand at food banks has risen dramatically in the past two years unfortunately. If there is anything that rural America does well though, they know the importance of taking care of their neighbors. So many times you will see farmers and ranchers donating part of their harvest to help out their friends and neighbors that need it. It’s just one of the great things you can expect from rural America.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Kellogg is Feeding America
Kellogg donates day's worth of production
Elizabeth Willis • The Enquirer • June 18, 2009
Kellogg Co. is making good on a promise to donate a day's worth of cereal — more than 55 million servings — that could have been sold to consumers for an estimated $10 million.
Food producers often give their surplus products, such as incorrectly packaged or soon-to-expire items, to food banks for redistribution. This is the first time in recent history that Kellogg has specifically produced sellable cereal for donation.
"We felt it would be a good way for us to step up and support folks who are struggling in this economy," said Tim Knowlton, Kellogg's vice president of corporate social responsibility.
Kellogg President and Chief Executive Officer David Mackay first announced on April 24 at the company's annual shareholder meeting that it would give 3.5 million pounds of cereal to the Chicago-based Feeding America, a charity it helped create.
A trailer full of Rice Krispies arrived at the Battle Creek-based Food Bank of South Central Michigan about two weeks ago, and most of the 12,000 boxes already have been distributed to area food pantries, said Executive Director Bob Randels. The 20,000 pounds of food is in addition to the 200,000 pounds of food Kellogg already has donated to the food bank for local distribution this year.
The nationwide donation is in addition to the about 20 million pounds of surplus foods Kellogg already donates to Feeding America each year, Knowlton said. Read More
It seems as though the cool thing to as of late is to constantly complain about the people that grow and process our food. Many times these people lump everything they don’t like into the term ‘big ag’. But if you are going to criticize them for things you don’t like, you better be prepared to praise when the time comes. I’ve never been able to get a good answer of who ‘big ag’ is, but Kellogg is a major food processor and they have just done a really great thing. To give away an entire day’s production is pretty impressive. So congratulations to Kellogg for this tremendous act of kindness. The people that rely on food banks during rough stretches in their life will appreciate it. I highly doubt any of them will be too concerned about the production methods being used to grow their food.
Elizabeth Willis • The Enquirer • June 18, 2009
Kellogg Co. is making good on a promise to donate a day's worth of cereal — more than 55 million servings — that could have been sold to consumers for an estimated $10 million.
Food producers often give their surplus products, such as incorrectly packaged or soon-to-expire items, to food banks for redistribution. This is the first time in recent history that Kellogg has specifically produced sellable cereal for donation.
"We felt it would be a good way for us to step up and support folks who are struggling in this economy," said Tim Knowlton, Kellogg's vice president of corporate social responsibility.
Kellogg President and Chief Executive Officer David Mackay first announced on April 24 at the company's annual shareholder meeting that it would give 3.5 million pounds of cereal to the Chicago-based Feeding America, a charity it helped create.
A trailer full of Rice Krispies arrived at the Battle Creek-based Food Bank of South Central Michigan about two weeks ago, and most of the 12,000 boxes already have been distributed to area food pantries, said Executive Director Bob Randels. The 20,000 pounds of food is in addition to the 200,000 pounds of food Kellogg already has donated to the food bank for local distribution this year.
The nationwide donation is in addition to the about 20 million pounds of surplus foods Kellogg already donates to Feeding America each year, Knowlton said. Read More
It seems as though the cool thing to as of late is to constantly complain about the people that grow and process our food. Many times these people lump everything they don’t like into the term ‘big ag’. But if you are going to criticize them for things you don’t like, you better be prepared to praise when the time comes. I’ve never been able to get a good answer of who ‘big ag’ is, but Kellogg is a major food processor and they have just done a really great thing. To give away an entire day’s production is pretty impressive. So congratulations to Kellogg for this tremendous act of kindness. The people that rely on food banks during rough stretches in their life will appreciate it. I highly doubt any of them will be too concerned about the production methods being used to grow their food.
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