APAS and Choice Family Meats Deliver Aid to Families in Need.
October 26, 2010 (For Immediate Release)
The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) and Choice Family Meats of White City donated hundreds of dollars worth of fresh quality local beef to the Regina and District Food Bank today. The donation was part of a commitment that APAS made during a media event held in September to release the 2010 results of the Farmers’ Share of Food Study, which has been undertaken in partnership with the Keystone Agricultural Producers of Manitoba (KAP) and the Wild Rose Agricultural Producers of Alberta (WRAP) since 2007.
“As part of the Farmers’ Share research we undertake with KAP and WRAP each fall, we purchase a week’s worth of groceries for a family of four in order to calculate the ‘farmers share’ of each item. Then we usually donate the nearly $200 worth of food to the local food bank,” explained Greg Marshall, President of APAS. “This year we had the opportunity to make those dollars go even further by filling a ‘virtual grocery cart’ instead of a real one and more importantly, we were able to partner with Choice Family Meats to feed far more than just one family.”
Instead of buying and donating only the specific groceries identified in the study, this year APAS elected to connect the farm gate to the dinner plates of local families by partnering with a local grocery supplier that had direct farm-gate relationships established. This would ensure that a larger than usual share of the money would be returned to local farm families which was the key message of the September event.
Allen and Denise Kilback, who own and operate Choice Family Meats in White City, offered to match the original donation, bringing the total up to $400, and suggested that in order to help as many families as possible, the partners provide the donation in the form of one pound packages of quality ground beef which Choice Family Meats packaged and froze.
“APAS clearly demonstrated in September that the choices you make every week when buying groceries has a direct impact on the pocketbooks of local farm families,” said Allen Kilback, President of Choice Family Meats. “That is an important part of our message as well. We also believe strongly in supporting the community in which we live, so we were happy to help ease the burden on the pocketbooks of even less fortunate families by partnering and matching APAS’ donation to the Regina & District Food Bank.”
“This donation is significant and demonstrates the commitment of our community through the partnership of the agricultural community, industry and the awareness of the food security challenges faced by those we serve,” Steve Compton, General Manager of the Regina and District Food Banks said. “The availability of quality protein products is always a challenge for the food bank and this donation goes to work where it is needed the most, in the pantries and dinner plates of those less fortunate in our community.“
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For more information, please contact:
Greg Marshall, APAS President.
Cell: (306) 570-5959
or
Allen Kilback, Choice Family Meats President.
Cell: (306) 541-7838
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