Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry

In Indiana, nearly 600,000 of our neighbors go to bed hungry each night. This figure represents approximately 10% of Hoosiers; 190,000 of them children. Given the leadership of Indiana’s agricultural production and our food-processing capacity, these numbers are staggering! ( taken from www.feedingindianashungry.org )



One great program to help alleviate this crisis is Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry (FHFH.) The program is set up so that when you harvest a deer you take it to a butcher for processing, but instead of buying the meat back from the butcher, FHFH will pay the processing fee and donate that meat to feed 200 meals to people who are hungry. I was fortunate to help out some people around the area last year when I took a doe with my bow. It was very gratifying to help out so many people!

Here is the history of Farmers and Hunters feeding the hungry: (taken from their website: www.FHFH.org )

I was driving down a Virginia highway in late September a few years ago to meet with some friends. We were planning to clear a little brush at the farm where we hunt and celebrate the landowner's birthday with a barbecue. About five miles before turning down the gravel farm lane I spotted a woman standing by her car with the trunk open. I was a little late and tempted not to stop. I'm glad I did.

From her dress and the appearance of her old car of many colors it was obvious she was not doing well. When I asked if her car was broken she said, "No could you please help me over here beside these bushes.’’ What was waiting for me over beside those bushes? Hesitantly, I followed until I spotted a fat but slightly battered 6 point buck beside those bushes. She slowly asked , "Could you please help me put it in my trunk?"



When I asked if she had hit it with her car she said, "No." Next I explained that unless she reported the deer to the State Police or a Wildlife Officer she could be issued a citation for transporting an untagged deer. She looked into my eyes and slowly answered, "I don't care...my kids and me are hungry." Too much talk and too little action...we loaded the deer into her trunk.

As she closed the lid of her trunk I asked one last question. "Would you like me to field dress it for you?" Her reply answered all, "No, since my husband left, me and my kids are gettin` good at it at home... and they don't bleed all over my trunk anymore." Standing there as she drove away I knew I had just looked into the eyes of Jesus.

Rick Wilson




So that's how this great program was started and hopefully will continue to be around until we stop starvation in Indiana!