Extension Seeks Deer Hunters to Fight Hunger in 12 Counties

BY KAY SHIPMAN FarmWeek

Deer hunters may help hungry families through a University of Illinois Extension pilot program in 12 east-central counties.

“Protein is definitely a food pantry item that’s always in need,” said Michelle Fombell, an Extension SNAP educator in Clay, Effingham, Fayette and Jasper counties.

Extension is launching a pilot Illinois Deer Donation Program in Clay, Effingham, Fayette, Jasper, DeWitt, Macon, Piatt, Coles, Cumberland, Douglas, Moultrie and Shelby counties. Fombell and fellow Extension Educators Caitlin Mellendorf and Meredith Probst work in those counties and are the driving forces behind the project.

Hunters are asked to donate legally hunted deer within the 12 pilot counties. The venison will be processed by five area meat processor partners and given to area food pantries. Money is being raised to reimburse the processors for their time and work, Probst said.

Currently, the program has enough funds to process 80 deer. “I’d love to double that number,” Fombell added.

Hunters need to first call a participating processor “to make sure they have a (processing) spot available” before dropping off a donated deer, said Mark Hartrich, co-owner of Hartrich Meats in Sainte Marie and one of the partner processors.

Donated deer should be field dressed before they are brought to the processor, and hunters need to have the appropriate paperwork with the hunter’s name, phone number and address and the deer tag, Hartrich said.

In addition to Hartrich Meats, partner processors include Blair’s Slaughtering and Processing and Salt and Strings Butchery, both in Louisville; Morgan’s Meat Market in Mattoon and Moweaqua Packing Plant in Moweaqua.

Working with food pantries isn’t new for Hartrich Meats.

Hartrich described his business previously has worked with hunters wanting to donate to area food pantries, especially through Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry. “Over the last several years, we’ve donated 1,000 pounds every year,” he said. In addition to the deer, several hunters also donated the processing costs.

In addition to covering the processing costs, the Extension program will hire someone to pick up and distribute processed venison to area food pantries.

“We’re going to focus on ground meat only. We’re not going to donate roasts or steaks,” explained Mellendorf. “A lot of people are familiar with ground beef so this (ground venison) will hopefully be a consumer-friendly product that people can use.”

The Extension educators estimate one deer will produce an average of 50 to 60 pounds of ground venison. One pound of meat will feed about four people, they noted.

Applying their expertise in nutrition, the educators are working on 10 ground venison recipes. Those recipes will be printed on cards and given to food pantries for their clients. Extension educators also will provide cooking demonstrations and taste tests with ground venison at the food pantries.

“It is an easy transition from ground beef to ground venison,” Mellendorf said. “Clients who may be unfamiliar with venison will be able to taste it and go, ‘Oh, OK, this is what it tastes like.’ Samples will hopefully encourage them.”

The Extension educators emphasized deer donations must be made through one of the partner processors. “We know they inspect the meat and do the right food safety processes,” Probst noted. “We’re not allowing people who are processing in their sheds to be part of this.”

Along with donations of deer, monetary donations are welcome to defray processing costs, according to Probst.

To get involved, go online to go.illinois.edu/DeerDonation or facebook.com/IllinoisDeerDonationProgram.

Illinois archery deer hunting starts Oct. 1, closes during firearm seasons, then reopens and continues through Jan. 15. Firearm deer hunting seasons are Nov. 18–20 and Dec. 1–4. Muzzleloader-only deer season is Dec. 9-11.