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| Farmers Ending Hunger begin a new year of donations | ||
| 04/09/2008 | ||
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Suggested lead The productivity and generosity of Oregon farmers is putting food on the plate for many of the state's most hungry citizens: Entire audio file Audio 01 The group is called Farmers Ending Hunger. Under the program, farmers agree to donate a portion of their crop prior to harvest. Processors agree to donate a part of the cost of processing. And much needed food is provided to the Oregon Food Bank: BURT: "We ended up bringing in another 800,000 pounds last year. The bulk of it is potatoes, onions, carrots, some dried peas. It adds up. We're talking large quantities- truckloads at a time." :12 audio file Audio 02 Executive Director John Burt says Farmers Ending Hunger also received a generous donation from the wheat industry, which ended up being 90-thousand pounds of pancake mix- enough for a stack of pancakes that could reach nearly ten miles high. Burt says they are trying to expand this year: BURT: "It appears we can do this on a sustainable basis. The plan is to keep this happening as much as possible. We're trying to additional growers. We're always looking for more growers for these basic commodities needed by the Oregon Food Bank network. We're not just taking anything." :15 audio file The wheat industry is committing enough product this year for half a million pounds of pancake mix. Also, Oregon's dairy industry will deliver 25 head of cattle each month to be processed into hamburger. Both donations will add significantly to the capacity of the Oregon Food Bank, which distributes nearly 800-thousand food boxes to the hungry each year. In Salem, I'm Bruce Pokarney. Additional audio: Audio 03 BURT says there is a critical need by the Oregon Food Bank for donations to help provide about 800-thousand food boxes to the state's needy families each year. The group Farmers Ending Hunger is trying to fill that need: "Where farmers can come in, where agriculture's come in, what we're all about is right out of harvest- high quality, fresh, local good food products from that agricultural sector. It often times doesn't need processing, it can come directly into the warehouse." :15 audio file Additional audio: Audio 04 BURT says Farmers Ending Hunger has several commitments of donated food already for 2008, including from the Oregon dairy industry, which will provide 25 head of cattle a month to be processed into hamburger: "That generates out about 9,500 pounds of hamburger. Good quality, local cattle, locally processed, and put into one pound packs of hamburger. At a quarter pound hamburger, that's about 450,000 servings of protein a year that we are generating." :16 audio file Full story http://oregon.gov/ODA/news/080409hunger.shtml |
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