Oklahoma Farm Bureau volunteers traveled to Erick, Oklahoma, July 15, to harvest 750 pounds of potatoes for the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma to help Oklahomans struggling with hunger. The group worked with Beckham County Farm Bureau member Gale Thompson, who owns the potato fields, and Premium Source Ag, which leases and harvests the potato fields.
“This donation made by farmers and volunteers proves the agricultural industry takes the job of feeding Oklahomans seriously,” OKFB President Tom Buchanan said. “Oklahoma Farm Bureau is proud of the many farming and ranching families who work each day to produce a safe and affordable food supply.”
The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma will use the potato donation to help feed Oklahomans during the summer.
“The Oklahoma Farm Bureau is a valued partner in the fight against hunger in Oklahoma,” said Rodney Bivens, executive director of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. “We are thankful for their continued support and dedication to helping the one in six Oklahomans that has inconsistent access to food. This donation will ensure our neighbors have food for their families this summer when school is out and utility bills skyrocket.”
Oklahoma consistently ranks among the top 10 hungriest states in the nation, with more than 675,000 Oklahomans struggling with hunger every day. The Regional Food Bank is the largest private hunger-relief organization in the state of Oklahoma.
Last fiscal year, the nonprofit distributed 47.8 million pounds of food and products through a network of more than 1,000 charitable feeding programs and schools in 53 central and western Oklahoma counties. Each week, the organization provides enough food to feed more than 90,000 hungry Oklahomans.
