Share the Harvest grows with MFA grant

Increasing help for food-insecure families while reducing crop damage caused by deer is the two-fold purpose of a recent donation by MFA Incorporated’s Charitable Foundation to the Conservation Federation of Missouri (CFM)’s Share the Harvest program.

MFA’s contribution, along with funding from the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council (MSMC), were instrumental in expanding the program’s capacity this past year, enabling hunters to donate more venison than ever before to families in need throughout Missouri, said Tyler Schwartze, CFM executive director.

“CFM and Share the Harvest are thrilled with the generous support of MSMC and MFA,” Schwartze said. “Their contributions enable more families to receive nutritious, high-protein meals while addressing Missouri’s deer population. Share the Harvest continues to be a win-win for everyone involved.”

Share the Harvest connects hunters with local food banks by facilitating venison donations through approved meat processors. This year, the program saw a remarkable increase in participation, with hundreds of additional deer harvested and processed. The result was thousands of pounds of high-quality venison distributed to food-insecure Missourians. Since its inception in 1992, Share the Harvest has provided nearly 5 million pounds of venison to families in need.

The program also helped mitigate crop damage caused by deer in some of the state’s top row-crop regions, benefiting both agriculture and local communities.

Agricultural organizations play a critical role in this success, Schwartze said, showcasing the power of partnerships between farming and conservation groups.

“The cooperative model focuses on delivering value to its member-owners and supporting the communities we serve,” said Ernie Verslues, MFA Incorporated president and CEO. “This partnership is an opportunity to involve more stakeholders in meeting that mission.”

For more information about Share the Harvest and how you can get involved, visit confedmo.org/share-the-harvest/.