The USDA Scottsbluff Service Center, local Agri-businesses and local producers delivered on September 2nd, more than 6,150 pounds of food to the Community Action Partnership of Western Nebraska (CAPWN) in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. The food was collected through the “Feds Feed Families”. CAPWN’s local programs provide a natural partnership for the “Feds Feed Families” campaign because they have an established avenue to distribute to people who are in need.
While Nebraska is known as the “Cornhusker State”, agricultural production in western Nebraska also includes dry edible beans and sugar beets. Kelley Bean, New Alliance Bean and Grain, Stateline Bean Producers Cooperative, Trinidad Benham Corporation and individual producer Leo Hoehn combined to donate 5,700 pounds of navy, pinto and mixed dry edible beans. Western Sugar, a grower owned cooperative, donated 160 pounds of granulated sugar.
When Phillip Mitchell heard about the effort, he brought in 15 dozen ears of locally grown, organic sweet corn from his one and one-half acre plot. Phillip also participates in the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) available through the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Fresh produce donations came from the local People’s Garden grown by Farm Service Agency, Rural Development and Natural Resources Conservation Service employees. The employees planted tomatoes, onions, carrots, cucumbers, radishes, bell peppers, acorn squash, spaghetti squash and sweet corn and have harvested over 54 pounds of food. Those same employees contributed 276 pounds of non-perishable items to the campaign.
“I would like to thank the USDA employees and local Agri-businesses for their work and donations to the “Feds Feed Families” campaign,” said Executive Director John Berge, National Food and Ag Council. "Employees and their cooperators around the country have responded to this call for donations in a big way, surpassing our annual goal."
“We are very grateful for this donation,” said Public Relations Coordinator Brad Staman, CAPWN. “This donation will go to help those in need throughout our local community.”
CAPWN is an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Rural Development recipient receiving Community Facility funds, a portion of which were used to make upgrades to their main campus where the commodity supplemental food program is available. CAPWN, a non-profit organization, serves low-income, disadvantaged and other individuals of Western Nebraska who are unable to meet their needs through other sources. CAPWN’s goal is to strengthen individuals, families and communities by helping people to help themselves and each other.
