Share the Harvest helps southeast Mo. families facing hunger
SOUTHEAST Mo. (KFVS) - Missouri deer hunters can donate venison through the Share the Harvest program to help families and individuals facing hunger.
The program is ran by the Conservation Federation of Missouri and the Missouri Department of Conservation. It covers the processing costs of the donated meat.
To participate, a hunter should take a deer to an approved meat processor and let them know how much venison you want to donate.
In the SEMO Food Bank service area, the approved meat processors are:
- Elderland Meats in Zalma
- Jackson Frozen Foods in Jackson
- Ole Bandit LLC in Wappapello
- Ozark Meats in Grandin
- Walker’s Meat Processing in Fredericktown
- Stonie’s Sausage Shop in Perryville
- Oberle Meats in Ste. Genevieve
- Piedmont Processing in Piedmont
Once a deer has been donated and processed, the meat will be distributed to one of the food bank’s partner agencies to be distributed.
“Protein is one of our most-requested items, but it is also one of the most expensive and difficult to source,” Joey Keys, chief executive officer of Southeast Missouri Food Bank, said in a news release. “The Share the Harvest program is a great way for local hunters to give back to their communities and avoid waste.”
According to SEMO Food Bank, more than 2,500 pounds of meat were donated in 2022 to them through Share the Harvest.
The food bank serves 80,000 people each month through 140 partner agencies and other programs.
You can find more information on Share the Harvest on the MDC website, as well as other processing locations.
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