North Dakota Farmers Union dropped off a donation of 40,000 pounds of pork spare ribs at the Great Plains Food Bank this morning.
Chief Operating Officer Kate Molbert says the meat will be distributed across their 205 partner food pantries across North Dakota and Clay County, Minnesota.
"Protein is so important as part of a nutritious diet, and we're just so thrilled that this food will be able to get into the hands of families who maybe wouldn't have the opportunity to enjoy such a hearty, nutritious food product."
North Dakota Farmers Union President Matt Perdue says the ribs are coming from their pork processing facility in Iowa, and they’re grateful to be able to work with their partners and producers to make the contribution. He says it’s been a challenging year for farmers and consumers alike, with high input costs that contribute now to higher costs for goods. He says despite those challenges, any farmer or rancher will jump at the opportunity to help their neighbors.
"In the farming community, it's tough economic times. And I think it's when we face those challenges that we recognize how important it is to take care of each other, how important it is to take care of our neighbors who are struggling. While financially, things might be a little tighter, I think you're really seeing the best in people come out in some of these challenging times. And I think we'll continue to do everything that we can to take care of our friends and neighbors across the state."
The Great Plains Food Bank served a record 186,366 people in their last fiscal year. This amounts to an increase of 16 percent over the previous year. The Food Bank distributed 15.4 million pounds of food.
