More than 200,000 servings of freshly ground pork will help in feeding families in Ontario this year courtesy of a grassroots fundraising initiative supported by hog farmers and their partners in the industry.
The Pork Industry Gratitude Project has made it known that a total of $85,000 has been raised since April to help the Friends of the Foodbank programme, which offers fresh ground pork to the Feed Ontario web of foodbanks. Another $15,000 will be made available to county pork associations to allow them increase community-based food donations.
The Pork Industry Gratitude Project is a grassroots programme founded by hog farmers in Perth County. The farmers were looking to make a positive impact in the early weeks of the COVID-19 crisis.
The farmers were not discouraged by the on-farm challenges and supply chain problems they encountered as a result of the pandemic, rather, they discovered three ways they could help make live better for Canadians through increased support for the Feed Ontario, through the Ontario Pork Friends of the Foodbank; creation of programme which provides additional funds for community-based food giving by local pork associations and improved Farmer-to-Frontline Worker Appreciation Box Lunches for employees at two biggest procdssing plants in Ontario.
With help from county-level pork associations, Ontario Pork, farming families and businesses related to agriculture, the group surpassed its initial fundraising goal of $100,000 by more than $33,000. Gold level sponsors are Purina (Cargill) and South West Ontario Veterinary Services while Silver level sponsors are Synergy Swine Inc., Farmer’s Farmacy/Grand Valley Fortifiers, Floradale Feed Mill and Schlegel Home Farms.
While talking about the project, John Nyenhuis, a farmer in Perth County and one of the organisers of the Pork Industry Gratitude Project said: “We’re incredibly grateful to see how the industry came together to have a positive impact during some challenging times that affected all of us. No matter what challenges they were facing on other fronts, these farmers, farm groups and businesses stepped up to help others. That’s the spirit that makes me proud to be a pork producer.”
Though the pork sector of Ontario has a long history of relationship with Feed Ontario, this is the biggest single-year donation since the advent of the programme. Ontario Pork’s Friends of the Food Bank program have given 107,096 pounds (239,605 kg) of fresh ground pork to Feed Ontario since 2013. That equals to 726,062 adult servings, or 1,452,143 child-sized servings.
The Executive Director of Feed Ontario, Carolyn Stewart-Stockwell talked about why families should be helped during this trying time. She said: “The COVID-19 pandemic brought job losses and economic uncertainty across the province, resulting in food banks seeing a surge in demand as communities worked to adjust to a rapidly changing world. Having a reliable supply of healthy, fresh protein makes a huge difference in the lives of individuals and families facing food insecurity. We’re very appreciative of the efforts of the pork industry to make that happen — particularly when our province needed this support the most.”
Pork donations will span over several months, based on processing capacity and food bank. The first donation occurred in early July and dueing the first donation, 3,700 pounds of fresh ground pork was received by Feed Ontario through the Ontario Pork Friends of the Food Bank programme.
