Pork Industry Challenges You to “Give-A-Ham”
It’s been a really challenging year for everyone – in particular, hog farmers who encountered packing plant slowdowns and closures last spring. Perhaps that’s what makes this year’s “Give-A-Ham” campaign even more meaningful.
“It’s good to celebrate things that are important to us,” says Jen Sorenson, National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) president-elect and communications director at Iowa Select Farms. “The way that farmers give back to their rural communities – that work never stopped, despite the really challenging times.”
NPPC is moving full steam ahead with its national social media campaign encouraging hog farmers and others involved in the industry to donate pork to organizations serving the food insecure and challenging others to follow suit. The “Give-a-Ham” challenge begins today with NPPC president A.V. Roth challenging Sorenson and will run through the end of the year.
“We will all be challenging and embracing the camaraderie in our industry – producers and all those who contribute so much to the pork industry, including our friends at Extension, ag colleges, lawmakers, policymakers and partners. The industry is much more than hog farmers themselves – a lot of people contribute to make it what it is,” Sorenson says.
The pork industry is ready to celebrate local giving and end 2020 in a positive way, she says. Food pantry needs are at all-time highs.
“We hear from food pantries that there is another surge of families that need the food pantries and the product supply is dwindling. For a while they were in good shape, but now it’s back to a more dire situation of need,” Sorenson says. “We work with over 100 food pantries across rural Iowa. I’ve never heard that they have plenty of meat. There is always a great need for protein.”
Pork is the perfect protein, she adds. Not only is it lean and versatile, but families can make pork stretch over a few meals.
“The ability to get a really great pork product and having it stretch over so many meals while providing lean protein for families and children is such a perfect product to give away because it helps so many,” she adds.
In 2019, more than 1,000 participants gave away half a million pounds of pork to food pantries to help the less fortunate in the “Give-a-Ham” challenge. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. hog farmers and numerous state associations that represent them have donated to local food banks, providing a collective 15.7 million pounds—or 222.8 million servings—of pork through Oct. 31.
“We are hoping to significantly increase not only the reach, but also the giving,” Sorenson says. “We invite anyone – if their heart is in a giving place this holiday season – to put it out on social and use #giveaham to be connected to the campaign.”
And it doesn’t have to be ham, she adds. For example, Iowa Select Farms is giving away 18,000 pork loins at food pantries across rural Iowa. All pork donations are encouraged and welcomed.
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