Ohio food banks looking for protein sources from farmers

Thanks to an influx of cash, Ohio’s food banks are ready to work with the state’s livestock producers to get local proteins in the hands of families in need. 

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s administration committed $15 million from Ohio’s American Rescue Plan Act funds to support the Ohio Agricultural Clearance Program. The spend was approved by the Ohio Controlling Board, on Oct. 3.

Working with local farmers is nothing new. The state’s food banks take on surplus and unmarketable fruit, vegetables and dairy products from nearly 100 Ohio farmers and growers through the Ohio Agricultural Clearance Program. Last year, food banks distributed 24.5 million pounds of food from Ohio producers through that program. 

This extra $15 million will build on that work to focus specifically on animal protein, said Joree Novotny, director of external affairs for the Ohio Association of Foodbanks.

The state’s livestock industry groups were instrumental in getting the funding OK’ed, and they’re eager to connect farmers to food banks and other local hunger relief partners. Leaders of the Ohio Dairy Producers Association, Ohio Cattlemen’s Association, Ohio Pork Council, Ohio Poultry Association and Ohio Sheep Improvement Association sent a letter to the governor and state legislative leaders in August, urging them to approve the $15 million spend. 

The American Dairy Association Mideast sent an email Nov. 1 informing its farmers of the opportunity the funding boost creates to “sell or donate their cull cattle to the Ohio Association of Foodbanks to be processed into hamburger.” The dairy group created an online form for interested producers to fill out to get involved with the program.

Animal protein products can be difficult to prioritize in the food banks’ spending because they tend to be more expensive than other products, Novotny said. The food banks need to get the biggest bang for their buck. 

“This dedicated funding for procuring protein items will allow us to put those center-of-the-plate items on the shelves more consistently for food insecure Ohio families in the near-term – and we hope we can continue it longer-term,” Novotny said.

Any Ohio livestock producers interested in working with the food bank association should reach out to their respective commodity group or directly to Ohio Foodbanks staff. Carol Whitmer, carol@ohiofoodbanks.org, handles meat and eggs. Erin Wright, erin@ohiofoodbanks.org, handles dairy. 

The $15 million is a fraction of what the food bank group asked for earlier this year from the state’s federal coronavirus relief money allotment. The Ohio Association of Foodbanks requested $183 million, which included $50 million for food and personal care items. The group also asked for funds to renovate and expand foodbank warehouses and facilities and improve and expand the hunger relief networks’ transportation fleet.

While the association intends to keep lobbying for its other needs, Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, thanked the DeWine administration and state legislative leaders in a statement after the funding was approved.

(Reporter Rachel Wagoner can be reached at rachel@farmanddairy.com or 724-201-1544.)