Several Counties Have Funding to Process Deer, Deliver Meat to Food Banks in Time for Christmas.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – -(Ammoland.com)- The Tennessee Wildlife Federation’s Hunters for the Hungry program is inviting hunters across the state to donate harvested deer, so that food banks and soup kitchens have meat to serve hungry Tennesseans through the colder months.
Between now and Jan. 1, select Hunters for the Hungry processors can accept about 650 deer for free, which would provide more than 100,000 meals. Hunters can simply drop off the deer at a participating processor, and the meat is professionally butchered and distributed to local hunger-relief organizations. A list of processors with funding is available at www.tnwf.org/hunters-for-the-hungry.
“The venison that we receive from Hunters for the Hungry is a real blessing, because it is such a highHunters for the Hungry quality and versatile source of protein for those we serve,” said Shannon Niswander, kitchen manager at Room in the Inn in Nashville.
“We provide hundreds of meals on a daily basis to folks in our area who otherwise wouldn’t have anything to eat, and they really enjoy the dishes we prepare with venison.”
Based upon available funding, processors are allotted a quota for the number of deer that Hunters for the Hungry will subsidize. Beyond these quotas, any whole deer processed is paid for by the hunter at the same discounted rate, typically $40. All processors are certified by the state department of agriculture.
The Hunters for the Hungry program began in Tennessee in 1999. In its first year, the program collected 7,000 pounds of venison, providing 28,000 meals. Today, those numbers stand at more than 110,000 pounds annually, providing nearly half a million meals each year. By the end of this deer season, the program will have provided more than three million meals to hungry Tennesseans in just over a decade.
Founded in 1946, The Tennessee Wildlife Federation is dedicated to the conservation, sound management and enjoyment of Tennessee’s wildlife and natural resources for current and future generations through stewardship, advocacy and education. For more information, visit www.tnwf.org