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Unfortunately, the current state of the economy
cannot be completely blamed for Oregon’s
status, which is why a small group of farmers decided to make it
their mission to end hunger in
Oregon.
In 2004, Fred Ziari attended a meeting to address
the state’s hunger problem. A 25-year veteran of agri-business
engineering, Ziari was surprised to see Oregon
was then listed as the hungriest state in America, with 25 percent of the
population eating less than one meal a day. Imagine that.
Oregon, a place with an abundance of fresh local foods
produced by some of the world’s best farming operations, and more of
our citizens are starving than any other place in
America.
Inspired by a sense of community and an ability
to be an advocate for the cause, Ziari was instrumental in rallying
friends and colleagues throughout agriculture to fight hunger.
Through their efforts and ingenuity,
Farmers
Ending Hunger was created with the intention of utilizing the
productive resources of
Oregon’s farmers.
Participating growers donate a portion of their
farm production for distribution throughout emergency food networks
in
Oregon and southwest Washington. The
Farmers
Ending Hunger program is unique in that they are working closely
with the urban populace to feed Oregonians. Through their “adopt an
acre” program, anybody who wants to help fight the war on hunger can
make a tax deductible donation that will help offset the costs
associated with shipping and handling the food, as well as
processing it for distribution
NORPAC has been a huge supporter of
Farmers
Ending Hunger, providing the charitable organization a
significant savings in food processing. Like many ag organizations,
NORPAC is committed to fighting the war on hunger. An example is a
recent alliance with the Agri-Business Council of Oregon and the
Oregon
State Fair that will allow NORPAC to conduct a food drive at the
entry gates of the Oregon State Fair during Labor Day weekend.
In March, the
Tillamook County
Creamery Association partnered with
Portland
television station KGW (8) on a month-long food drive to support the
Oregon Food Bank in an effort to raise 1 million pounds of food. As
part of their campaign sponsorship, the TCCA donated a penny per
pound of every purchase of Tillamook cheese in
Oregon and Southwest Washington, resulting in a cash donation of
$30,000, or the equivalent of 150,000 pounds of food. Combined with
a similar campaign in 2009, the TCCA has donated the equivalent of
293,620 pounds of food to the Oregon Food Bank.
There is still a lot of work to be done, and
these are just a few examples of Oregon’s agricultural community stepping up
to fight the war on hunger. Today, throughout society, many applaud
those who stand on two legs of the sustainability chair – economic
and environmental responsibility. Often the third leg is forgotten,
which is social responsibility. It’s refreshing to know that so many
throughout agriculture have not.
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