A statewide hunger relief program dedicated to providing a healthy source of protein to needy Kentuckians is part of the second annual Kentucky Hunters for the Hungry week from Nov. 10-17.
Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles is encouraging hunters to consider donating their harvest to a charitable feeding agency. Their mission is to alleviate hunger and malnutrition in Kentucky by processing and distributing donated venison to those in need, to provide an outlet for hunters to help their communities, and to promote environmental stewardship through wildlife management.
Kentucky Hunters for the Hungry was founded in 2000, and in recent years, the average annual donated harvest has risen to 60,000 to 70,000 pounds of processed venison, an amount that translates into 560,000 meals.
”It is an unfortunate reality that one in six Kentuckians is food insecure,” Quarles said. “Kentucky Hunters for the Hungry serves a critical role in the fight against hunger and helping maintain a responsible deer herd in our state. I encourage Kentucky’s sportsmen and women to consider donating a deer or funds to their organization during Kentucky Hunters for the Hungry Week.”
KHFH administers the Kentucky Whitetail Access program, established in conjunction with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. Kentucky Whitetail Access matches hunters with landowners – most often farmers – who are in need of deer population control on their property. KHFH receives the deer taken under the program, and processing is covered by Kentucky Farm Bureau, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, and private donors.
