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TO FOOD, AND NATIONAL EDITORS:
Feeding America Asks Farmers And Gardeners To Grow Crops To Help Feed
People Living At Risk Of Hunger
CHICAGO, March 31, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Spring planting
season is about to begin across the nation. Feeding America would like
to encourage everyone, from the farmer who cultivates a thousand acres
of sweet corn to a gardening enthusiast who grows a plot of vegetables
in her backyard, to consider growing crops for a local food bank.
Feeding America is the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief
organization, providing food and grocery products to more than 37
million low-income Americans each year through a network of more than
200 food banks, which serve every community in the United States.
"We work very hard to get fresh fruits and vegetables to millions of
Americans living at risk of hunger throughout our nation, and we are
extremely grateful to agricultural producers, farmers, the food and
grocery industries, and individuals who donate millions of pounds of
fresh produce to us each season. But more is needed," said Bob Aiken,
CEO of Feeding America.
There are a number of ways farmers and gardeners can help their local
food banks and the pantries they serve:
Harvest for All
The American Farm Bureau's Young Farmers and Ranchers have worked side
by side with Feeding America for the past 10 years to help provide
food to those in need around our country through the Harvest for All
campaign.
The Young Farmers and Ranchers across the nation donate food, funds
and volunteer hours to help create a hunger-free America. And whether
the contribution is a bushel, a dollar, or an hour, The American Farm
Bureau and Feeding America work together with the goal of ensuring
that every American can enjoy the bounty produced on the nation's
farms and ranches.
In 2013, Young Farmers and Ranchers programs across the country
donated nearly 33 million pounds of food, spent more than 13,000 hours
volunteering, and gave $810,033 to their local food banks and food
pantries.
For more information on how to participate, contact: Marty Tatman,
Director, Program Development martyt@fb.org, 202.406.3682.
Invest an Acre
Families who live in the rural and agricultural regions where food is
grown face a number of challenges that put them at an even greater
risk of hunger.
Invest an Acre is a program that encourages farmers across the country
to donate a portion of their crop proceeds to help fight hunger in
their own communities. The innovative program was founded by the
Howard G. Buffett Foundation.
A check for the sale of grain donated will be issued to Feeding
America and distributed to the food bank that directly serves the
farmer's community. Monsanto then provides a dollar-for-dollar match
of each donation given through Invest an Acre, doubling the resources
provided to the communities involved.
For more information, watch a brief video on How the Program Works,
e-mail InvestAnAcre@FeedingAmerica.org, or call Matt Coatar, the
Invest An Acre program manager at 877.267.6547.
Plant a Row For the Hungry
Plant a Row is a public service program of the Garden Writers
Association and the GWA Foundation. Garden writers and communicators
are asked to encourage their readers, viewers and listeners to plant
an extra row of produce each year and donate their surplus to local
food pantries, soup kitchens and service organizations to help feed
America's hungry.
"There are over 84 million households with a yard or garden in the
U.S. If every gardener plants one extra row of vegetables and donates
their surplus to local food agencies and soup kitchens, a significant
impact can be made on reducing hunger," said Robert C. LaGasse,
executive director of the Garden Writers Association.
For 2014, the Plant a Row (PAR) program has kicked off its "20-n-20"
fight against hunger - over 20 million pounds raised nationwide in 20
years through the PAR campaign.
Plant a Row provides training, direction and support to volunteer
committees that promote herb, vegetable and community gardening at the
local level. They also assist in coordinating the local food
collection systems and monitor the volume of donations being conveyed
to food agencies.
Call the Plant A Row hotline 877.492.2727 to find a local PAR campaign
near you.
Those interested in helping their local food bank this planting season
should contact their local food bank by using Feeding America's "food
bank finder" at http://feedingamerica.org/foodbank-results.aspx.
About Feeding America Feeding America is a nationwide network of more
than 200 food banks that leads the fight against hunger in the United
States. Together, we provide food to more than 37 million people
through 61,000 food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters in
communities across America. Feeding America also supports programs
that improve food security among the people we serve; educates the
public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that
protects people from going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses
and government all have a role in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer.
Advocate. Educate. Together we can solve hunger. Visit
http://www.feedingamerica.org/. Find us on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/FeedingAmerica or follow us on Twitter at
www.twitter.com/FeedingAmerica.
Contact: Ross Fraser 312.641.6422
SOURCE Feeding America
-0- 03/31/2014
/Web Site: http://www.feedingamerica.org
CO: Feeding America
ST: Illinois
IN: AGR
SU: NPT
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