Plate & Pitchfork tackles serious food issues during 2013 farm-to-table season

PORTLAND, Ore. – October 2013 – For the past decade, Plate & Pitchfork has been connecting urban food lovers with local chefs, winemakers and family farmers to experience Oregon’s bounty with a farm tour followed by a gourmet meal. Always eager to support local food and farm programs, Plate & Pitchfork founder Erika Polmar chose Farmers Ending Hunger as the sole beneficiary for the 2013 summer season, raising more than $22,000 for the organization’s work with local hunger relief.

“Plate & Pitchfork has a long history of supporting numerous community organizations each season, but we wanted to make a more significant impact this year and that meant finding just one,” said Polmar. “Farmers Ending Hunger has a creative solution to eradicating hunger in Oregon by working directly with farmers who are growing and harvesting food for donation and utilizing the distribution systems of the Oregon Food Bank. They’ve created a very efficient and effective system to feed the hungry. Although our guests were keenly aware of the hunger problem in Oregon, they were not aware of the impressive efforts by Oregon’s farmers to solve the problem.”

This year, 2.1 million pounds of fresh food will be harvested in Oregon and donated to Farmers Ending Hunger, a 9-year-old nonprofit created to bring nutritious food to those who need it most. Funds raised by its Adopt-an-Acre program are used to harvest, process, store and distribute fresh food donated by dozens of family farms from the Columbia River Basin to the Willamette Valley to Southern Oregon. Once it is processed and packaged into products like frozen and canned vegetables, ground beef and pancake mix, the food is delivered to the Oregon Food Bank’s regional network for distribution in their food relief boxes, along with fresh fruit and vegetables like pears, cherries, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and winter squash.

“Oregon is one of the most productive growing regions in the country and also one of the hungriest,” said Farmers Ending Hunger Executive Director John Burt. “In an average month, 84,000 children in Oregon eat meals from emergency food boxes. Farmers Ending Hunger finds another use for Oregon’s bounty by asking farmers to provide fresh, nutritious food to those who need it the most.”

About Farmers Ending Hunger

Eastern Oregon resident Fred Ziari created the nonprofit Farmers Ending Hunger in 2004 when he learned that Oregon was one of the hungriest states in the country. Farmers Ending Hunger gathers Oregon’s agricultural resources to help feed the hungry. For information on how to contribute to Adopt-an-Acre, please visit www.farmersendinghunger.com or call Executive Director John Burt at 503-931-9232. Follow us on Facebook at Farmers Ending Hunger for news and events.

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SALEM, Ore. (July 19,  2013) — Farmers Ending Hunger — an organization that delivers high-quality food to Oregon communities through a partnership of farmers, processors, the Oregon Food Bank, and the public – has received a donation of $5,000 from CoBank on behalf of Erik “Rick” Jacobson, a member of the cooperative bank’s Board of Directors.

Farmers Ending Hunger was founded in 2005 to help eliminate hunger in Oregon, where one in five people rely on food stamps. Many of the state’s farmers and ranchers donate a portion of their harvest each year to help the cause. Some of the produce is processed then packaged, while some is delivered fresh to Oregon Food Bank, which distributes the food throughout the state to the people who need it most.

The organization is one of the biggest contributors to the food bank and hunger relief in the state. Ranchers and farmers have donated about 2 million pounds of harvested goods annually to the effort. The organization hopes to double that in the near future.

“Cash donations, including this generous contribution from CoBank, help us defray some of the costs of processing, storing and transporting the vegetables, grain and meat,” said John Burt, executive director of Farmers Ending Hunger. “The number of people using food banks has continued to increase by double digits, and we’re dedicated to the effort to help stem the ongoing need. This all begins with the farmers who stepped right up when they understood the need.”

CoBank’s Jacobson is the retired president and chief executive officer of NORPAC Foods, Inc., an international fruit and vegetable processing and marketing cooperative. He lives in Bend, Oregon, and operates RG Solutions, LLC, a consulting firm. He previously served as a director for Food Alliance, a sustainability certification organization, and Oregonians for Food and Shelter, a farm and forestry legislative advocacy organization.

“Year after year, Oregon has one of the highest levels of need in the nation, and CoBank is happy to be able to support this collaboration that provides fresh, healthy food for those who are unable to afford it,” said Jacobson, a founding board member of Farmers Ending Hunger.  “We’re proud to support the organization and the generous community of farmers that is addressing the problem.”

Jacobson is now serving as general manager for Pendleton Grain Growers in Pendleton, Oregon. The Oregon Wheat League, which is a major contributor to Farmers Ending Hunger, is made up of many members from Pendleton Grain Growers.

The contribution is part of CoBank’s corporate giving program, which allows employees and board members to direct bank donations to their choice of non-profit organizations and programs. Through the program, CoBank donated more than $1.2 million last year to benefit local communities where its employees and directors live and work.

About CoBank

CoBank is a $95 billion cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America. The bank provides loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states. The bank also provides wholesale loans and other financial services to affiliated Farm Credit associations serving approximately 70,000 farmers, ranchers and other rural borrowers in 23 states around the country.

CoBank is a member of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of banks and retail lending associations chartered to support the borrowing needs of U.S. agriculture and the nation’s rural economy.

Headquartered outside Denver, Colorado, CoBank serves customers from regional banking centers across the U.S. and also maintains an international representative office in Singapore.

For more information about CoBank, visit the bank’s web site at www.cobank.com

 

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We are excited to meet new and existing supporters at all of the wonderful farmer’s markets in Oregon! We will make “Mr. Potato Heads” at most markets, so make sure to bring the kids by for some fun with vegetables!

SUMMER FARMER’S MARKET SCHEDULE SUMMER 2013

MAY 2013 

May 4 – Corvallis Farmer’s Market 

Location: 1st & Jackson, Corvallis, OR

Market Hours: Saturdays, 9 AM to 1 PM, April 20-Nov. 23, 2013

May 25 – Albany Farmer’s Market 

Location: 4th & Ellsworth, Albany, OR

Market Hours: Saturdays, 9 AM to 1 PM, April 20-Nov. 23, 2013

JUNE 2013

June 15 – Lake Oswego Farmer’s Market 

Location: Millennium Plaza Park at First and Evergreen

Market Hours: Saturdays, May 18 to October 12 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m

June 22 – Portland Farmer’s Market – PSU 

Location: PSU park blocks, SW Park Ave & SW Montgomery St Portland, OR 97201

Market Hours: Saturdays 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (Mar. through Oct.)

June 29 – Portland Farmer’s Market – PSU 

Location: PSU park blocks, SW Park Ave & SW Montgomery St Portland, OR 97201

Market Hours: Saturdays 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (Mar. through Oct.)

JULY 2013

July 6 – Beaverton Farmer’s Market

Location: SW Hall Blvd between 3rd and 5th Streets

Market Hours: Saturdays May 11 – Nov 23 8am – 1:30pm

July 17/Wed – Moreland Farmer’s Market 

Market Hours: May 15th to October 23^rd Wednesdays 3:00pm-7:00pm

Location: SE 14^th and Bybee

July 27 – Salem Saturday Market 

Market Hours/Location: Mondays June through September 10 am to 2 pm Salem Hospital

Saturdays April through October 9 am to 3 pm

July 31 – Corvallis Wednesday Farmer’s Market 

Location: 1st & Jackson, Corvallis, OR

Market Hours: 9 AM to 1 PM, April 20-Nov. 23, 2013

AUGUST 2013

August 3 – Oregon City Farmer’s Market

Market Hours/Location: -Saturday Summer Market starts May 4th. 2013
Weekly, 9am-2pm.

August 31 – Hollywood Farmer’s Market 

Location: NE Hancock St. between 44th & 45th Avenues in Portland, Oregon.

Market Hours: Saturdays 8am – 1pm

SEPTEMBER 2013

Sept. 7 –Lake Oswego Farmer’s Market 

Location: Millennium Plaza Park at First and Evergreen

Market Hours: Saturdays, May 18 to October 12 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Donation will help Farmers Ending Hunger to package and distribute nearly 180,000 pounds of food to hungry Oregonians

SALEM, Ore., Feb. 2, 2012 – Farmers Ending Hunger today received a $25,000 contribution to support its Farm to Food Box program. The grant – which was given to the nonprofit organization through the Walmart Foundation’s State Giving Program – will supplement the organization’s efforts to collect and transport nearly 2 million pounds of crops and meats annually from statewide farms to processors, and then to the Oregon Food Bank Network.
“Roughly 260,000 Oregonians receive their meals through food box programs every month,” said Farmers Ending Hunger Executive Director John Burt. “The Walmart Foundation’s grant will help support our collective goal to eliminate hunger in Oregon by providing locally sourced, nutritious food to those in need.”

Farmers Ending Hunger works to eliminate hunger throughout the state by increasing the amount of high-quality food available to local communities through a partnership with local farmers and ranchers, who donate a portion of their harvest, as well as food processors, the Oregon Food Bank and the public.

Farmers Ending Hunger will use the Walmart Foundation’s grant to supplement the additional costs associated with product assemblage and distribution. In total, the grant helped to sort, process, package, store and transport 175,000 pounds of pancake mix and 4,000 pounds of hamburger to the Oregon Food Bank to be distributed and served in food boxes for hungry Oregonians. One million food boxes were delivered last year.

“We want to do our part to support those in need, especially in the communities where we do business,” said Matti Havener, Walmart regional general manager. “We hope this grant plays a role in expanding access to fresh, healthy food and that together, we can work towards eradicating hunger in Oregon.”

The contribution to Farmers Ending Hunger was made possible through the Walmart Foundation’s Oregon State Giving Program. Through this program, the Walmart Foundation supports organizations that create opportunities so people can live better. The Walmart Foundation State Giving Program strives to award grants that have a long-lasting, positive impact on communities across the U.S.

In 2010, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation awarded more than $11.3 million to local organizations in Oregon. Through additional funds donated by customers, and Walmart and Sam’s Club associates throughout the state, the retailer’s contributions in Oregon totaled more than $11.8 million.

To be considered for support, prospective grantee organizations must submit applications through the Walmart Foundation State Giving Program’s online grant application. Applicants must have a current 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status in order to meet the program’s minimum eligibility criteria. Additional information about the program’s funding guidelines and application process is available online at www.walmartfoundation.org/stategiving <http://www.walmartfoundation.org/stategiving> .

About Philanthropy at Walmart

Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are proud to support initiatives that are helping people live better around the globe. In May 2010, Walmart and its Foundation made a historic pledge of $2 billion cash and in-kind support through 2015 to fight hunger in the U.S. The Walmart Foundation also supports education, workforce development, environmental sustainability, and health and wellness initiatives. To learn more, visit www.walmartfoundation.org <http://www.walmartfoundation.org> .

About Farmers Ending Hunger

Eastern Oregon resident Fred Ziari created the nonprofit Farmers Ending Hunger in 2004 when he learned that Oregon was one of the hungriest states in the country. Farmers Ending Hunger gathers Oregon’s agricultural resources to help feed the hungry. Local family farmers and ranchers donate a portion of the food commodities they raise, and Adopt-an-Acre, a supplementary program seeks the operating funds from the public necessary to harvest and process those same crops into frozen and canned food products that are easily stored and utilized, then distribute them to the hungry through Oregon Food Bank’s regional network. For information on how to contribute to Adopt-an-Acre, please visit www.farmersendinghunger.com <http://www.farmersendinghunger.com/>  or call Executive Director John Burt at 503-931-9232. Follow us on Facebook at Farmers Ending Hunger for news and events.
Contact: 

John Burt, Executive Director, Farmers Ending Hunger, (503) 931-9232, [email protected]  

Adrienne Webb, Vox Public Relations Public Affairs, (503) 954-4919, [email protected]

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