Whitefish food bank now Hunters Against Hunger meat processor
Mark Schmidt processes meat Friday morning at North Valley Food Bank while other volunteers work doing the same. The meat will be distributed to the food bank’s clients in the form of roasts and hamburger. (Heidi Desch/Whitefish Pilot)
North Valley Food Bank in Whitefish, which has processed cattle, bison, game and some roadkill for many years, is partnering with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the Montana Food Bank Network to get paid for their processing efforts.
“It’s an exciting partnership,” North Valley food Bank Executive Director Jessy Lee said. “Not only are we continuing to process and distribute healthy and sustainably harvested meat, we will now receive funds from Hunters Against Hunger to do so.”
The Hunters Against Hunger program was designed as a way for hunters purchasing licenses to donate directly to agencies fighting food insecurity in Montana, Lee said in a press release. Hunters can donate $1 or more when buying a license, which, in turn, is used to pay meat processing facilities to process donated game. Tagged game animals can be donated to meat processors across the state, who process and distribute the meat to pantries in their area.
Montana Food Bank Network, the agency that manages the funds, approached North Valley Food Bank this summer about being a designated processor for the Flathead Valley.
“They were having a tough time finding a meat processor in the area who had the time to participate in the program,” Lee said. “It was a natural fit for North Valley Food Bank, as we check both the meat processing and the food security boxes. We won’t change what we do; we will just be receiving a sustainable funding stream now.”
If you have a tagged animal you want to donate to North Valley Food Bank, give the pantry a call at 862-5863 to schedule a drop-off time. The food bank is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. The food bank prefers field-dressed and skinned animals, but accepts whole animals if necessary. If you would like to volunteer with the butcher team, get in touch with Kristie Lukes at warehousemanager@northvalleyfoodbank.org or call 862-5863.
For more information on volunteering with North Valley Food Bank, go to www.northvalleyfoodbank.org.