One in 10 Minnesotans face hunger every day, and families who live in the rural and agricultural regions face a number of challenges that put them at even greater risk of missing meals. A lack of transportation, remote social service agencies and fewer jobs all make it more difficult for people to get enough food to feed themselves and their families.

That’s why we’re excited about a new partnership between farmers and local food banks that gives local growers a chance to help fight hunger in their own community. The program, called Invest an Acre, is part of a national campaign between the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, Feeding America, Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) and Monsanto that engages U.S. farmers in helping provide food to their neighbors.

Through the program, farmers can donate the proceeds of one or more acres of crops to help feed hungry families in their own communities—with 100% of the contributions going directly to a local Feeding America food bank. And for every $1 donated, Monsanto will give $1, doubling the contribution dollar for dollar.

For information on how to donate and help feed your community, visit InvestAnAcre.org or contact your ADM elevator operator to learn more about the Invest an Acre program.

As Hurricane Sandy made landfall in the mid-Atlantic states yesterday, the Feeding America network was prepared and provided support to communities impacted by high winds, flooding and extended power outages. The national office hosted a call with its food bank members in affected areas to assess local needs yesterday afternoon and will continue to do so throughout the week.

They are currently helping coordinate food, water and disaster-relief support provided by donors such as Abbott Laboratories, Allstate, Kellogg’s and PepsiCo.

Second Harvest Heartland is a member of Feeding America, the national network of more than 200 food banks serving every state in the United States. Our thoughts go out to communities on the East coast, and we are honored to be a part of an emergency food network helping to ensure needs are met during the disaster.

In past issues, we’ve told you about the more than 200 million pounds of heartland fresh produce that goes un-harvested or unsold in Minnesota alone…..

…..a staggering number, difficult even to understand when you consider that amount would fill 5,000 semis. But what we can easily understand is that the corn, potatoes, watermelon, peppers, peas and other produce that go to waste on Minnesota farms each year would be of great value to so many families at risk of going without a meal today—if only we could find a way to make the connection.

That’s where Harvest to Home, the local agricultural surplus program anchored by Second Harvest Heartland, comes in.
At a time when food manufacturers are increasing efficiencies, resulting in less surplus product, and demand on food shelves is high, it’s more important than ever that hunger-relief organizations continue to forge new partnerships to connect the abundance of the heartland with the dinner tables of those we serve.

Last year through Harvest to Home, we collected more than 2.3 million pounds of sweet corn, potatoes, watermelon and green peppers from over 40 different farms. This season, we collected more than 4.3 million pounds of sweet corn, potatoes, apples, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, watermelon, green beans, peppers, squash, tomatoes and zucchini that has already been sent out through our network of food shelf and other agency partners for distribution to families in need. This year, more than 60 different farms and processors across our state participated with donations.

Without action, a bounty can turn into over abundance
When we got the call that Seneca Foods had 600,000 pounds of corn available if we had the capacity to collect it, we responded immediately. Trucks that would normally have moved the corn in Renville County to a Seneca plant instead moved it to Cargill’s grain storage facility in Savage. Cargill employees packed 12 truckloads of corn into totes, and SUPERVALU supported the effort with refrigeration and transportation.

But like any fresh food, corn is perishable. We knew Minnesota’s emergency food system couldn’t quickly enough absorb more than 100,000 pounds of it—so the Second Harvest Heartland Food Sourcing Team sprung into action, making connections with other food banks in the Feeding America network to share in the bounty. Within days, truckloads of corn were on their way to 18 food banks in 10 states—from the Greater Food Depository in Chicago, Illinois to the North Texas Food Bank in Dallas, Texas.

Local growers dedicate crops to the cause
While the vast majority of the pounds contributed to this program has and will come through partnerships with large-scale processors like Seneca, donations from smaller, local growers make a huge difference. Take Gary Pahl, owner of Pahl’s Market in Apple Valley, as an example. Last year, Gary learned of the program and told us, “I never would have figured in my whole entire life that this network that they have established and put together throughout the country could do what they did, and get (the produce) out to people.” This year, Gary planted crops specifically planned for donation, amounting to more than 230,000 pounds of corn, cabbage, green beans, cucumbers and peppers.

Partnerships will shape the future
Not one of the successes experienced this year could have been accomplished without the dedication and commitment of caring partners on the front lines of hunger relief. From the major processor to the local community garden, the contributions of each and every partner make a tremendous difference in the lives of people experiencing hunger. As the autumn fades into winter here in the heartland, we look forward to an off-season full of brainstorming, connecting and planning for future years when we can capture even more of the 200 million pounds of abundance waiting to be picked and placed in front of a hungry child, senior or working parent to enjoy.

Today, Feeding America released the Map the Meal Gap: Child Food Insecurity 2011 study which provides a detailed look into the number of children in America that are under the age of 18 that go hungry every year.

The study reveals that there are children struggling with hunger in every county in America. Nationally, while one in six Americans overall don’t have proper access to the food they need, the rate for children is much higher: nearly one in four children are at risk of hunger.

It also provides information on Second Harvest Heartland’s service area in which it found that there are more than 200,000 children under the age of 18 that are currently struggling with hunger.

Child hunger is simply unacceptable. The new information gained from this study will help us develop even more ways to improve our child hunger programs like the Summer Food Service Program which provides meals to children who may otherwise go hungry during the summer or the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, which provides a box of nutritious food each month through the Mothers and Children Program (MAC).

For more details on this study check out the entire interactive map here.

Join us one week from today, Tuesday, January 5 for The Biggest Loser Season Premiere Party at Solera in Downtown Minneapolis!

Beginning at 6:00pm, you’ll enjoy hors d’oeurves, a cash bar, exciting enter-to-win opportunities and other Biggest Loser-related freebies. Two lucky guests will win a Nintendo Wii gaming system and Wii Fit!

Grab a seat at 7:00 for the show, and enjoy even more entertainment, fitness tips and other activities with KS95′ s Staci Matthews during commercial breaks. Register now and be entered to win a VIP package, including preferred seating at the event.

Space is limited, so click here to register now!

Why are we throwing a party for The Biggest Loser?

Because it’s the kickoff of the second annual Pound for Pound Challenge, of course! This exciting fundraising program was formed by a partnership of NBC’s The Biggest Loser, General Mills and Feeding America to encourage Americans to “Lose Nationally, Feed Locally.”

Sign up and pledge your weight loss goals at www.pfpchallenge.com. For every pound you pledge, the Pound for Pound Challenge will donate 14 cents to Feeding America – enough to deliver one pound of groceries to a local food bank. The more signups and pledges in our area, the more donations will come to Second Harvest Heartland to help feed those in need right here in our community.

Coming to the event? That’s great. You can pledge your pounds online at pfpchallenge.com, or just sign up at the party.

But remember, space is limited–so register for the party now!