Farmland recently launched year two of its Honoring the Heartland Tour to show appreciation to hardworking farming communities and support communities through food donations. On Oct. 4, the tour stopped in Des Moines, Iowa to recognize two nonprofits.
Farmland has partnered with the National Pork Board, Iowa Pork Producers Association and Luke Bryan’s Farm Tour to help fight food insecurity in September, contributing more than 30,000 pounds of protein to the Food Bank of Iowa. With six Farm Tour stops, Farmland and the National Pork Board will donate truckloads of protein to local food banks in Iowa, Nebraska, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and Minnesota, for an estimated one million servings of protein.
“During the past three years, Iowa’s pig farmers – both as individuals and collectively through the Iowa Pork Producers Association – have donated a million pork servings to the people of Iowa,” said Trish Cook, Iowa pig farmer and president-elect for the Iowa Pork Producers Association.
“We’re excited that with the support of Farmland and Luke Bryan’s Farm Tour, another 130,000 pork servings will be distributed through the Food Bank of Iowa to those who are food insecure. Iowa’s pig farmers focus on producing safe and nutritious protein, and making sure our fellow Iowans have access to that protein is just one way that we show our care for our local communities.”
Throughout Iowa, 5,418 pig farmers help families and communities by raising nutritious food, providing 147,105 jobs and contributing $40.8 billion in economic value to the state.
“The aftermath of inflation is profoundly present in households across the Midwest as many families struggle to balance rising food costs with the other demands of life,” said Jonathan Toms, senior community affairs manager for Smithfield Foods. “Farmland is honored to provide the food bank with much-needed protein during this difficult time and support their tireless efforts to combat food insecurity in America’s heartland.”
Farmland is simultaneously working to strengthen the agricultural industry with its continued partnership with FFA. During the presentation at Food Bank of Iowa, Farmland also made a $9,000 donation to the Iowa FFA Association to support its mission to develop its more than 18,600 students’ potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success, as well as to fund community service projects.
“We’re grateful to the teams at Farmland, National Pork Board, Iowa Pork Producers Association, and Luke Bryan’s Farm Tour for their generous contribution,” said Michele Book, Food Bank of Iowa CEO. “Three hundred thousand Iowans face food insecurity and one-third of them are children. This donation will make a meaningful difference as we work to put food on the table for Iowans in need. Our greatest and constant need is meat. This protein-rich donation could not have come at a better time.”
For more information and to see where the Farmland Honoring the Heartland Tour goes next, visit farmlandfoods.com.
