Farmers Feeding Utah campaign delivers food to Provo families in need
Volunteer Nelson Abbott, of Elk Ridge, asks how many bags of potatoes to load into a family’s vehicle at the Utah State Fairpark as part of the Farmers Feeding Utah project on Monday, July 27, 2020, in Salt Lake City. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Volunteer Bryan Searle, president of the Idaho Farm Bureau, loads a bag of corn into the trunk of a family’s vehicle at the Utah State Fairpark as part of the Farmers Feeding Utah project on Monday, July 27, 2020, in Salt Lake City. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Lightning streaks across the sky as volunteers load families’ cars with food at the Utah State Fairpark as part of the Farmers Feeding Utah project on Monday, July 27, 2020, in Salt Lake City. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Bags of potatoes wait to be given to community members at the Utah State Fairpark as part of the Farmers Feeding Utah project on Monday, July 27, 2020, in Salt Lake City. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Volunteer Scott Mugrage, president of the Alaska Farm Bureau, loads a bag held by his wife, Julia, with meat at the Utah State Fairpark as part of the Farmers Feeding Utah project on Monday, July 27, 2020, in Salt Lake City. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Volunteer Jacob Clark, of Sandy, loads a bag of potatoes into the bed of a community member’s truck at the Utah State Fairpark as part of the Farmers Feeding Utah project on Monday, July 27, 2020, in Salt Lake City. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Volunteer Mandee Grant, of Highland, hands eggs out to a community member at the Utah State Fairpark as part of the Farmers Feeding Utah project on Monday, July 27, 2020, in Salt Lake City. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Volunteer Tonya Durfee fills a bag held by fellow volunteer Melissa Carroll, both of Stansbury Park, with various food items at the Utah State Fairpark as part of the Farmers Feeding Utah project on Monday, July 27, 2020, in Salt Lake City. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Nelson Abbott, of Elk Ridge, loads a bag of potatoes into the trunk of a community member’s car with the help of fellow volunteer Jared Smith, of Taylorsville, at the Utah State Fairpark as part of the Farmers Feeding Utah project on Monday, July 27, 2020, in Salt Lake City. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Volunteers Tonya Durfee, right, and Melissa Carroll, both of Stansbury Park, fill bags with various foods at the Utah State Fairpark as part of the Farmers Feeding Utah project on Monday, July 27, 2020, in Salt Lake City. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Volunteer Taylor Smith, of Taylorsville, prepares to pick up a bag of potatoes to give to a family at the Utah State Fairpark as part of the Farmers Feeding Utah project on Monday, July 27, 2020, in Salt Lake City. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
The Farmers Feeding Utah stopped in Provo on Friday to deliver farm-fresh food to approximately 400 families that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as part of its latest “miracle project.”
The Utah Farm Bureau Federation launched the Farmers Feeding Utah campaign in May as a way to “get money to farms and ranches for their product and get that product to people that are hungry throughout our state,” according to Ron Gibson, president of the farm bureau.
“We know that farmers and ranchers aren’t the only people in this state or in this country that have been challenged by this virus and this terrible pandemic,” Gibson said when the campaign launched. “We know that families all across the state and all across the country are in need of help.”
Since May, hundreds of Utahns have made donations ranging from $5 to $500 to $1,000, enabling the campaign to provide approximately 600,000 pounds of fresh farm food worth $800,000 in retail value to residents in Ogden, west Salt Lake, Vernal and other communities along the Wasatch Front.
This summer, the campaign raised $100,000 in donations and distributed thousands of pounds of fresh lamb to various chapters of the Navajo Nation in southeastern Utah.
The campaign made its latest stop in Utah County on Friday outside the Utah Valley Convention Center, where hundreds of families show up to receive farm fresh turkey, potatoes, cheese, butter, onions, eggs, flour and apples.
To prevent the spread of COVID-19, the families stayed in their vehicles while volunteers brought the food to them.
While the campaign offered food to any member of the public who needed it, Matt Hargreaves of the Utah Farm Bureau said they prioritized giving it to families on food assistance.
According to a press release, volunteers reached out to Utah County residents who recently became unemployed and “those struggling with food insecurity” and gave them details about the project.
Utah County Commissioners Tanner Ainge and Bill Lee attended the event in Provo, according to Hargreaves, as well as staff of U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah.
By 12:30 p.m., the campaign had already donated all of the food.
“We ran out of food so fast today!” Farmers Feeding Utah wrote on Facebook. “We hope we can make it back soon! Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!”
In addition to Friday’s miracle project in Utah County, the campaign also will deliver food to families in Weber County this month.
Partners of the Farmers Feeding Utah Project include the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Farm Bureau Financial Services, Utah State University’s Hunger Solutions Institute and Create Better Health program.
To make a tax-deductible contribution or learn more information about the Farmers Feeding Utah campaign, residents can visit http://farmersfeedingutah.org/.
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