More than 200,000 servings of fresh ground pork will help feed Ontario families in need this year thanks to a grassroots fundraising initiative supported by hog farmers and their industry partners.
The Pork Industry Gratitude Project announced that a combined total of $85,000 had been raised since April to support the Friends of the Foodbank program, which provides fresh ground pork to the Feed Ontario network of foodbanks.
An additional $15,000 will be made available to county pork associations that will allow them to increase community-based food donations.
The Pork Industry Gratitude Project is a grassroots initiative launched by hog farmers in Perth County. They were looking to make a positive impact in the early days of the COVID-19 crisis.
With support from county-level pork associations, farming families, Ontario Pork and businesses connected to agriculture, the group exceeded its initial fundraising goal of $100,000 by more than a third.
Gold level sponsors include South West Ontario Veterinary Services and Purina (Cargill). Silver level sponsors include Farmer's Farmacy/ Grand Valley Fortifiers, Synergy Swine Inc., Schlegel Home Farms and Floradale Feed Mill.
"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," said John Nyenhuis, a Perth County farmer and one of the organizers of the Pork Industry Gratitude Project. "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."
Since 2013, Ontario Pork's Friends of the Food Bank program has donated 107,096 pounds of fresh ground pork to Feed Ontario. That works out to 726,062 adult servings, or 1,452,143 child-sized servings.
