DODGEVILLE - "Demand is up and donations are down," said Jeff Segebrecht of Southwest Wisconsin Community Action, Inc. at a recent meeting to coordinate the donation of venison to area food pantries.
"We're getting very little meat through (Madison based) Second Harvest," Segebrecht said. "Without venison we don't have a lot to give out."
Mary Dietz of the Green County Inter Church Food Pantry echoed his remarks.
A few years ago, the food pantry had all the venison it needed, she said. "Now we try to stretch it out by giving out a little less each time," Dietz said.
Target Hunger seeks to increase the number of deer donated to the program without requiring hunters to contribute $20 for each deer brought in to the processor, as was the case last year. According to Don Bates, Chronic Wasting Disease Operations Supervisor, hunters will not be expected to pay for the privilege of donating deer to the food pantries.
To achieve that, Target Hunger officials are hoping to raise around $140,000 from businesses, conservation organizations and individuals.
"Hunters will have the option of helping out as well," Bates said.
The DNR funded the entire cost of the donation program after CWD was detected in southern Wisconsin in 2001. However, costs of the program doubled due to the need to test all deer projected for donation.
Because of budget shortfalls in 2007, the DNR cut funding for the venison donation program. However, local community action programs, food pantries, meat processors and various funding sources kept the program alive to the tune of nearly 600 donated deer, which translates to approximately 23,000 lbs of venison.
This contrasts with the more than 5,000 lbs of venison donated in past years. Minimum processing costs (all the meat is ground into hamburger) for donated deer are approximately $70.
Bates urges hunters to use the early antlerless-only season (Oct. 16-19) as an opportunity to harvest an extra deer for donation to Target Hunger. The goal is 2,000 donated deer throughout the season, which ends on Jan. 4.
The group also discussed the recent controversy over the discovery of trace amounts of lead in venison. After temporarily pulling meat from distribution at food pantries in Wisconsin and Minnesota, state officials have no plans to block distribution of venison to food pantries.
Dennis Hoesly of Hoesly's Meats, Inc. in New Glarus dismissed the problem.
"If you run meat through the grinder and there's metal in it, you can hear it and pull it out," he said.
Dodgeville physician Gary Grunow agrees there is no threat to the public.
"Lead has a limited toxic effect on humans," he said. "Ten thousand people die from food-related illnesses each year; none of them are from lead poisoning."
Southwest CAP will serve as the clearinghouse for donations. Based in Dodgeville, the community action agency contracts with food pantries over a seven-county area to distribute the venison.
Together with the DNR, Southwest CAP is also coordinating arrangements with area meat processors to take tissue samples to test for Chronic Wasting Disease. Only after the test results come back negative will the processor release the venison to the food pantries.
All donations are tax-deductible and can be made directly to the Southwest CAP Target Hunter program at 149 N. Iowa St., Dodgeville, WI 53533. "We are contracting with each food pantry to ensure that the money gets back to the local food pantries, Segebrecht said.
- Lee Fahrney can be reached at (608) 967-2208 or at fiveoaks@mhtc.net.
"We're getting very little meat through (Madison based) Second Harvest," Segebrecht said. "Without venison we don't have a lot to give out."
Mary Dietz of the Green County Inter Church Food Pantry echoed his remarks.
A few years ago, the food pantry had all the venison it needed, she said. "Now we try to stretch it out by giving out a little less each time," Dietz said.
Target Hunger seeks to increase the number of deer donated to the program without requiring hunters to contribute $20 for each deer brought in to the processor, as was the case last year. According to Don Bates, Chronic Wasting Disease Operations Supervisor, hunters will not be expected to pay for the privilege of donating deer to the food pantries.
To achieve that, Target Hunger officials are hoping to raise around $140,000 from businesses, conservation organizations and individuals.
"Hunters will have the option of helping out as well," Bates said.
The DNR funded the entire cost of the donation program after CWD was detected in southern Wisconsin in 2001. However, costs of the program doubled due to the need to test all deer projected for donation.
Because of budget shortfalls in 2007, the DNR cut funding for the venison donation program. However, local community action programs, food pantries, meat processors and various funding sources kept the program alive to the tune of nearly 600 donated deer, which translates to approximately 23,000 lbs of venison.
This contrasts with the more than 5,000 lbs of venison donated in past years. Minimum processing costs (all the meat is ground into hamburger) for donated deer are approximately $70.
Bates urges hunters to use the early antlerless-only season (Oct. 16-19) as an opportunity to harvest an extra deer for donation to Target Hunger. The goal is 2,000 donated deer throughout the season, which ends on Jan. 4.
The group also discussed the recent controversy over the discovery of trace amounts of lead in venison. After temporarily pulling meat from distribution at food pantries in Wisconsin and Minnesota, state officials have no plans to block distribution of venison to food pantries.
Dennis Hoesly of Hoesly's Meats, Inc. in New Glarus dismissed the problem.
"If you run meat through the grinder and there's metal in it, you can hear it and pull it out," he said.
Dodgeville physician Gary Grunow agrees there is no threat to the public.
"Lead has a limited toxic effect on humans," he said. "Ten thousand people die from food-related illnesses each year; none of them are from lead poisoning."
Southwest CAP will serve as the clearinghouse for donations. Based in Dodgeville, the community action agency contracts with food pantries over a seven-county area to distribute the venison.
Together with the DNR, Southwest CAP is also coordinating arrangements with area meat processors to take tissue samples to test for Chronic Wasting Disease. Only after the test results come back negative will the processor release the venison to the food pantries.
All donations are tax-deductible and can be made directly to the Southwest CAP Target Hunter program at 149 N. Iowa St., Dodgeville, WI 53533. "We are contracting with each food pantry to ensure that the money gets back to the local food pantries, Segebrecht said.
- Lee Fahrney can be reached at (608) 967-2208 or at fiveoaks@mhtc.net.
