Farm industry feeds communities

With Thanksgiving a mere week away, most of us are anxiously waiting for a day of feasting, though many Americans aren’t fortunate enough to look forward to such food gluttony.

According to the USDA, more than 49 million Americans, one in six people, are food insecure. To help support our country’s food needs, Halex GT, a corn herbicide from agribusiness company Syngenta, partnered with Feeding America, the leading domestic hunger-relief charity, earlier this year.

“Syngenta is helping to weed out hunger one row at a time,” states the company, with the clever campaign tagline of, “Good for communities, good for corn.”
A portion of each sale of Halex GT benefited some of the organization’s 200 food banks dispersed throughout each of the fifty states.

For being a significantly developed country, our country’s hunger prevalence is alarming.

American Hunger Facts (FarmAssist.com)
• More than 2 million rural households are food insecure
• One in eight Americans doesn’t have access to enough food
• There are 16.7 million children who live in food insecure households
• In 2009, 46 percent more people visited a hunger-relief charity than in 2005

Hunger facts are even more distressing when they hit close to home.

The Columbus Dispatch reported recently that Ohio has broken into the top 10 states for hunger, as about one in every seven households struggled or did not have enough money to buy food in 2009. Nearly 680,000 Ohio families – 14.8 percent – were found to be "food insecure" at some point in 2009. More than 1.9 million Ohioans visited a food pantry during the last quarter. Since 2007, demand at Buckeye State pantries has increased by nearly 69 percent.

The agriculture industry is vital to addressing food scarcity. U.S. farmers take on the huge responsibility of feeding not only the American population, but also contribute to feeding people on a global scale. The average American farmer feeds 144 people and uses one acre of land to support 11 people.

An example of the agriculture industry extending its humanitarian scope is the charitable work of The World Soy Foundation (WSF). WSF is a organization dedicated to helping relieve hunger and malnutrition in the world by funding, supporting and helping to coordinate programs that recognize the importance of the use of soybeans in developing sustainable food solutions.

The WSF was awarded funds from The Monsanto Fund, the philanthropic arm of the Monsanto Company – a U.S.-based multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation – to pilot the use of SoyCow Soybean Processing Technology to improve nutrition for a community in South Africa.

SoyCow makes soymilk and yogurt, as well as tofu, soya nuts and soya chips to create sustainable solutions for the protein needs of the people in this South African region.

The corporate giving initiatives of Syngenta and Monsanto are just two examples of the abundant contributions of our nation’s agricultural community to the food supply. Each year, our farmers continue to grow more food using fewer resources. Our farmer’s sustainability and philanthropy is a pillar of our agriculture industry that we all can be proud of.

As we near the holidays, we should each think about how we can mirror this example of giving.

Photo obtained from: examiner.com









Farmers Donate During Holiday Season

During the holidays, we’re reminded that it’s better to give than to receive – a principle that is recognized by thousands of farmers nationwide.

Opportunities abound for farmers to donate portions of their harvest to food-donation programs throughout the year, but are especially welcome during times of economic difficulty. It’s also important in November, December and January when people celebrate major holidays with food, food and more food.

Tax incentives can sway farmers to be more generous with their harvest. The Good Samaritan Hunger Relief Tax Incentive Extension Act of 1996 states that only farmers and ranchers using the accrual method of accounting may benefit from incentives for charitable donations of food.

In June, Sen. Dick Lugar, R-Ind. reintroduced the act to Congress with a proposal that would allow farmers to receive tax deductions on the full market value for produce that cannot or will not be sold.

“It has been my experience that farmers generally make the donation of food out of their desire to support their communities and the less fortunate, and any enhanced deduction was not the primary motivation of such a contribution," Lugar said. "The legislation does make it easier for farmers to take such an enhanced deduction and will result in increased donations of food should the bill pass."

Many national and state food-donation programs exist throughout the country to help distribute food to needy Americans.

The Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers Program, in conjunction with Feeding America, the nation's largest hunger-relief charity, created the “Harvest for All” campaign in 2003. This nationally recognized campaign includes activities organized by state and county Farm Bureaus in connection with local Feeding America affiliates across the country. Since its inception, it has provided more than 16 million pounds of food.

U.S. Rep. Tim Bishop, D-N.Y. is another proponent of extending and increasing the scope of the original act.

“During these difficult economic times, this tax incentive would be a win-win for our farmers and for those who are struggling to find food to eat,” said Bishop. “Rather than letting excess produce go to waste, farmers can support local charities.”

For example, the 2009 harvest is one of the largest in history for corn and soybeans. As another outlet for their crops, in addition to selling or storage, farmers can consider selling grain in the name of a church or an organization. These entities then use the proceeds to purchase food items.

Donation is a win-win for farmers and producers. Not only honorable, food donations are also economically smart for members of the agriculture industry. With so many local, regional and national opportunities to choose from, farmers would be wise to consider donations now and in the future.

What provisions should be included in the act? How can ag members create awareness about the importance of tax incentives for food donations?










Farmers, food banks create partnership

In this trying economy, Americans are facing more than the prospect of losing their jobs. They’re being hit hard by high food prices and other difficulties, which is leading them to seek out other resources such as food banks for assistance.

Sadly, supply is not keeping up with this surge. Because of the current recession and higher food costs, food banks have seen a steady decline in donated packaged foods from manufacturers and grocery stores, which are historically their biggest donors.

Due to an increased need, food banks also require support from additional vendors. Ross Fraser, a spokesman for Feeding America, formerly America’s Second Harvest, reported a 30 to 40 percent rise in demand from a year ago. Feeding America’s is the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity. Its network of more than 200 distribution centers serves all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

To tackle the rising demand, many food banks and nonprofits are trying to partner with farmers, fishermen and schools while continuing partnerships with their usual allies.

Ohio food banks are benefiting from a first-time partnership between the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry (FHFH).

FHFH is a non-profit organization whose mission is to fight human hunger and deer overpopulation by contributing deer meat to church pantries, the Salvation Army, community food banks, emergency assistance programs and children's homes.

The Mid-Ohio Foodbank, which serves agencies in 20 counties, received a truckload of 800 pounds of animal meat from the FHFH earlier this month, according to a Columbus Dispatch article.

“It’ll make a substantial difference,” said Evelyn Behm, Mid-Ohio Foodbank’s vice president of strategic initiatives. “Our pantries are always in need of protein.”

In other parts of the country, fishermen in Southern California have donated boats, bait and deck hands for a deep-sea fishing excursion, which helped supply FOOD Share, Ventura County’s food bank.

In Vermont, the Foodbank plans to close on the purchase of a 20-acre farm by May, according to Judy Stermer, the food bank’s spokeswoman. The purchase will do more than add food to the needy. It will prevent commercial development, preserve farmland and restore the farm as a working farm to provide a center for agricultural education efforts and community activity. According to an Associated Press article written earlier this year, Foodbank officials plan to farm the land for root crops, renovate the aging barn into a four-season facility that can serve as a community meeting place, a winter farmer's market and an educational exhibit that focuses on the link between agriculture and hunger.

"Our intent is to raise 150,000 pounds of produce on the farm (annually) and make it available -- first and foremost -- locally in the Mad River Valley and Washington County and then to other food shelves and pantries around the state," said Doug O'Brien, CEO of the Barre Town-based food bank. “The short-term gain is significant, and the long-term gain is we'll continue to have the fresh produce and the educational opportunities to better understand the issue of hunger."

Fortunately, along with these new partnerships, there are still many programs and corporations, including grocers and food manufacturers, who have stepped in to help. Their contributions are usually in the form of money and transportation services. Last month in an Associated Press article, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. stated it will donate more meat and dairy products plus $2.5 million, while Kraft Foods, Inc. will fund a $4.5 million mobile pantry program.

Partnerships across the country are helping in large and small ways and every bit helps. What else can be done to help the hungry during the recession? Please comment below.