The Arkansas Farm Bureau Foundation is partnering with Arkansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry (AHFH), with an initial gift of $25,000 that could triple with contributions from others. The program adds to the hunger relief efforts that ArFB and county Farm Bureaus have supported to fight food insecurity in Arkansas.

The ArFB Foundations Board of Directors recently approved the donation to AHFH, and agreed to match, up to an additional $25,000, any donations made by county Farm Bureaus, individuals, and other entities, meaning a total of $75,000 is possible for the program.

The donation is earmarked for AHFH’s wild game snack sticks program. The snack stick program provides protein in the form of shelf-stable meat snack sticks to schools for their backpack programs, providing a protein option for students.

“Feeding Arkansans is a natural connection for our state’s farmers and ranchers,” said Rich Hillman, president of Arkansas Farm Bureau. “We are long-time supporters of hunger relief programs across the state and this partnership is a natural expansion of those efforts.

“There is no more obvious connection than farmers sharing their bounty with hunger relief efforts, just as Arkansas hunters provide the meat for the Hunters Feeding the Hungry programs.”

AHFH is in its 22nd year of helping feed Arkansans by providing wild game meat to food pantries across the state. The organization does so by sharing the harvest of an abundant resource with Arkansans who are hungry, providing a low-fat, high-protein food source to the many feeding agencies and organizations across Arkansas at no cost.

“This meat stick program has grown significantly in the past four years, and we were looking for the right partner to increase its impact across the state,” said Ronnie Ritter, executive director for Arkansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry. “Arkansas Farm Bureau’s investment in this program will help school children in every area of the state. We’re grateful of their commitment to feeding hungry Arkansans.”

Money donated to the ArFB Foundation on behalf of the Hunters Feeding the Hungry program will be donated to the AHFH. Donations can be made by mail to Arkansas Farm Bureau Foundation, PO Box 31, Little Rock, AR 72203 or by visiting the online giving page at arfbfoundation.gvtls.com. Please note that the donation is for the Hunters Feeding the Hungry Program.

Arkansas Farm Bureau is the state’s largest agricultural advocacy group, working to improve farm and rural life. With almost 190,000 member families, ArFB represents roughly 1 in 4 Arkansans.

For more information, contact:

Steve Eddington                                                                     
(501) 228-1383                                                                        
steve.eddington@arfb.com                   

or

Jason Brown
(501) 228-1283
jason.brown@arfb.com