The Carbon County Food Bank and the Grand County Food Bank received a combined 465 pounds of locally raised meat on Monday, Aug. 24, through a collaborative donation by Emery Telcom, the Farm Bureau, and the Utah Farm Bureau Miracle of Agriculture Foundation. This recent distribution follows an earlier effort on Aug. 4, when the same organizations donated 450 pounds of meat to the Emery County Food Bank.
Livestock Auction Collaboration
The donation of 465 pounds of meat was made possible through a partnership between the Carbon and Emery County Farm Bureau, Emery Telcom, and the Utah Farm Bureau Miracle of Agriculture Foundation. The meat was produced following the purchase of animals from local youth exhibitors during the Southeastern Utah Junior Livestock Show. According to KOAL News, Carbon County covered the costs to have the animals processed for distribution.
Regional Distribution Efforts
The meat yield was split between two regional locations to support local residents. Of the total 465 pounds processed, 315 pounds were delivered directly to the Carbon County Food Bank in Price. The remaining 150 pounds were sent east to support the Grand County Food Bank in Moab, as reported by KOAL News.
Addressing Protein Shortages
The initiative was driven by a desire to address protein shortages in local food pantries. Jaron Hansen, the eastern regional manager for the Farm Bureau, noted that the decision to act was motivated by reports from food pantries regarding their limited access to protein.
"Hearing from the food pantry that they can go months on end without any protein other than peanut butter or a can of tuna really hit home for me," Hansen said. "Our first thought when we heard that was 'what can we do to help?'" Hansen added that the experience allowed the organizations to provide fresh, locally grown protein to those in need while honoring the region's agricultural roots.
Ongoing Community Support
The current donation follows a series of efforts by the agricultural organizations to support the community. On Aug. 4, the Farm Bureau, Emery Telcom, and the Miracle of Agriculture Foundation donated 450 pounds of meat to the Emery County Food Bank.
Earlier in the summer, on Aug. 5, Emery Telcom and the Farm Bureau partnered to donate pork from three locally raised pigs to food banks serving Carbon, Emery, and Grand counties. These pigs were raised by Emery County youth exhibitors and were purchased by Emery Telcom during the Southeastern Utah Junior Livestock Show. The animals were processed by Circle V Meats in Spanish Fork, as first reported by ETV News.
Partnership Recognition
The Farm Bureau expressed gratitude for the partnership in a social media post, thanking Emery Telcom and the Utah Farm Bureau Miracle of Agriculture Foundation for working with local farmers and ranchers to deliver locally grown food to community members in need.
