A large donation of nutritious protein found its way from family farmers to inner-city Milwaukee today, when a Farmers Union Enterprises truck unloaded 35,000 pounds of pork ribs at Hunger Task Force, Milwaukee’s primary community food bank. Farmers Union Enterprises (FUE) teamed up with Wisconsin Farmers Union (WFU) to donate the pork ribs.
The donation is part of a giving spree that will see a total of 180,000 pounds of ribs distributed to food banks in Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin over the next several weeks. In May, Farmers Union delivered 150,000 pounds of pork ribs to food banks in the five-state area.
“The past year has been a difficult one for many families, and we’re glad to be able to provide some nourishment for those in need through this donation,” said Wisconsin Farmers Union President Darin Von Ruden, a dairy farmer from Westby, Wis. “Hunger and food insecurity take a tremendous toll on people in all communities, and the pandemic has wreaked havoc on the food supply chain. Our farmer members are hard at work each day producing food that we want to be sure is reaching those who need it most.”
“These pork ribs will go a long way in making a difference for a local senior or family here in Milwaukee,” said Sherrie Tussler, Hunger Task Force Executive Director. “We’ve seen an increase of as much as 30% at our local food pantries during the pandemic, and many of those in our community are facing hunger for the first time. This generous donation ensures hungry families can enjoy some added nutrition and variety with this protein-packed pork.”
The donated pork ribs are from Redwood Farms, one of several businesses owned by FUE – the dividends of which help fund Farmers Union state organizations and National Farmers Union. Redwood Farms is unique in that it is focused on providing farmers the best market pricing for hogs that may not meet the stricter size specifications of larger processing plants.
WFU, headquartered in Chippewa Falls, Wis., is a statewide member-driven organization that is committed to enhancing the quality of life for family farmers, rural communities, and all people through educational opportunities, cooperative endeavors, and civic engagement.
“Farmers Union is all about working together to meet our common needs,” Von Ruden said. “We’re glad to be able to partner with Hunger Task Force to get these products out to those who need it in these tough times.”
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