News & Updates

In an older photo, Josh Wilson and Rick Wilson stand outside the Maryland Department of Natural Resources with Paul Peditto, Director of the Wildlife and Heritage Service of the DNR, and Tim Lambert who at the time was President of the Maryland State Sportsmen’s Association.

For 20 years the MD DNR has supported FHFH and our mission 
​of feeding the hungry in Maryland.  

We thank the MD DNR for their support and having a heart for the hungry!

The Cabela’s Outdoor Fund has awarded a grant to the national Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry (FHFH) venison donation ministry.  This funding support will enable FHFH to develop a new and better system for recruiting, training and equipping volunteer chapter coordinators in local communities across the country.
 
“On behalf of those in our country who struggle with hunger, we thank the Cabela’s Outdoor Fund for their generosity and support of our mission to end hunger in America,” said FHFH Executive Director Josh Wilson.  “We depend on an extraordinary network of volunteer chapter coordinators to help hunters feed the hungry of their communities.  This funding will help us provide them with much better training and resources to encourage and equip them for success in our mission!” 

Cabela’s Outdoor Fund is a non-profit organization dedicated to efforts that promote and protect hunting, shooting sports, trapping, fishing, camping and conservation. This fund is possible through donations from generous Cabela’s customers who choose to “round up” their purchases to the nearest dollar at Cabela’s stores. The Cabela’s Outdoor Fund contributes to other like-minded organizations in communities across the country working to make the great outdoors even better. Visit  www.cabelas.com/outdoorfund to learn more.

About FHFH – People across America who struggle with food insecurity are often desperate for meat and protein items.  FHFH gives nutritious meat to feeding programs and ministries that help those in need by paying local butcher shops to process deer and livestock that are donated by farmers and hunters.  Meat for over 18 million meals has been donated, processed and distributed by FHFH since 1997.  The organization welcomes new supporters and volunteers to join the cause.  To learn more please visit http://www.fhfh.org/, call toll-free 866-438-3434, or email staff@fhfh.org.

​The article below about the role FHFH plays in feeding the hungry was recently featured in The Enterprise​ newspaper (www.somdnews.com/enterprise).  

Meeting the Need for Meat
​By DANDAN ZOU dzou@somdnews.com

The idea of sharing a bounty of a harvest with others may not be a new concept, but a nationwide program named Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry has made it their mission to connect local hunters and food banks to make meat donation easier and speedier.

The organization pays certain butcher shops in local areas processing fees ahead of time and connects verified food pantries with the shops so boxes of frozen meat can be delivered directly from shops to the pantries.

In the eyes of many, this approach is a win-win for both those who hunt and those in need.

​​‘Farming the deer to feed the people’

Hunters love getting down to the woods and they love hunting, said Mike McWilliams, who runs Wild Game Processor in California. “But they don’t want to take deer for no reason.”

Born and raised in Leonardtown, McWilliams said he worked on a farm when growing up and saw the damage deer can do to farmers’ crops. His shop has been a FHFH participant since the program first started in 1997 because he believes the program helps hunters, farmers and those in need all at once.

He added that deer meat could be a “renewable resource” for years to come if managed well.

“The state regulates how many deer you can take, keep the population in check,” McWilliams said. So the deer can continue to multiply and the supply will never dry out.

“It’s like farming the deer to feed the people,” he said.

McWilliams’ processor shop and Mike Ridgell’s Whitetail Butcher Shop in Dameron are the only shops in St. Mary’s that participate in the FHFH
program.

A member of the Ridge Volunteer Fire Department, Ridgell runs the butcher shop part time, mostly on weekends. He joined the program a few years ago for the same reason McWilliams did. He likes the program and what it offers.

“A lot of people don’t realize there’s a lot of poverty in some areas in this county,” Ridgell said.

According to the numbers provided by FHFH, Southern Maryland donated close to 270 deer and livestock last season, which equates to more than 10,000 pounds of meat and 42,000 servings.

McWilliams’ shop usually processes between 80 to 100 deer a year, he said. The cost of processing one deer is usually $70, but McWilliams said he does it for the FHFH program at a reduced rate.

After the discount, it costs the program less than $1 for each pound of venison, according to McWilliams.

“You can’t get any kind of meat for under $1 these days,” he said, adding especially not the type of “high-quality, high-protein, lean deer meat” that he processes.

The deer donation also fills in a critical gap among many food pantries that often don’t have enough raw meat to serve. Due to preservation concerns, few meat donation comes from community food drives.

The First Saints Community Church’s soup kitchen, for example, receives about half of its meat donation from the FHFH program, according to Carol Barton, the church’s soup kitchen coordinator. The other half comes from the Southern Maryland Food Bank in Waldorf, for which the soup kitchen pays 50 cents a pound.

Barton uses some of the venison in cooked meals for the soup kitchen. The rest goes in pantry bags that the church gives away to people who come in to take home.

“It comes in very handy for us,” Barton said. “Without it, there are times we don’t have meat to serve at the soup kitchen or for folks to take home.”

From local to local

Kel Christianson of Owings said he heard of the program from another hunter friend who told him if he happens to have more deer meat than his freezer could hold, he has another option that could help other people out.

Most hunters learn of the program through word of mouth, Christianson said. He has not donated any deer yet, but he said he plans to soon because he likes the idea that the food will go to benefit people locally.

And that was the intention of FHFH. The organization’s primary roles are raising funds to pay for the cost of meat processing and verifying local partners, both butcher shops and food pantries, according to Josh Wilson, executive director of FHFH.

“From there, we hand it off to local agencies already in place,” Wilson said.

This approach allows FHFH not to duplicate efforts in distribution and at the same time keep the meat local, which is an appealing aspect of the program for hunters who can be sure that their donations will help those around them, Wilson said.

The idea of setting up such a program occurred to Wilson’s father, Rick Wilson, when he helped a woman on the side of the road picking up a road kill deer that she said she would rely on to feed her family.

The concept of using wild games to feed the hungry, Rick Wilson later found out, was nothing new. He learned that similar programs had already existed in Virginia and some other states. Through his church in Hagerstown, he used the same approach and founded an early version of what is now known as the FHFH program. Once a small service group, FHFH has grown to become a nationwide nonprofit organization with about 120 volunteers in 30 states in just a few years.

Funding is a challenge 

Since July, McWilliams has processed about 70 deer, averaging about 50 pounds a deer. The number is a little behind compared to previous years. But he believes the pace will pick up as cold weather settles in, which will result in more deer movement. What’s concerning at this point of the season to him is not the volume of the donation, but the cost of processing those donations.

This year FHFH decreased his quota from a record high of 120 about a couple of years ago to 35 this year.

“I’m not gonna turn any deer meat away,” McWilliams said, knowing he might have to shoulder that cost himself later.

By the end of the season, McWilliams hopes FHFH would have more funding coming in and therefore give him some reimbursement.

That is something FHFH is not sure of themselves at this point. In general, Wilson said FHFH does not encourage the butchers take in more donations than what they are assigned to at the beginning of the season. FHFH usually mails the allocation vouchers to local shops in August so butchers know their quota for the season, which generally runs from July to the following June.

If local processors are approaching the number they are given, Wilson said FHFH encourages them to contact the program to see if more funding is coming in later in the season, and if they could work something out.

Darrin Weimert, who runs Rowell’s Butcher Shop in Prince Frederick, is taking FHFH’s advice. He had posted a notice upon entrance that his shop has “run out of donate vouchers” and hunters must pay themselves to process the donated deer. The processing fee is $80, and he charges $70 per deer for FHFH.

“This is the first time I had to turn away a donation,” Weimert said. His shop, FHFH’s only participant in Calvert, has been processing meat for the program since it was established in the state. The number of deer processed dropped from a record high of 150 a few years ago to about 80 this season, as of early December.

Funding was a key resource that fueled FHFH’s success over the years. But butcher shops and soup kitchens across Southern Maryland are feeling the impact of the program’s funding decline.

Two weeks before Christmas, Barton’s soup kitchen ran out of meat and she said she used canned tuna, canned chicken and peanut butter in
replacement to provide some form of protein in a meal.

The FHFH program largely relies on state funding and local grants, Wilson said. The nonprofit group has a list of supporters and organizes a few fundraising events throughout the year.
During a record-high season between 2012 and 2013, the organization received $248,000 through the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Wilson said. But that number dropped to $50,000 this season, which represents about one third of its total budget in Maryland.

“We are not complaining,” Wilson said. But “this reminded us that you can’t rely on large funding, but you need to build your own sources, go back to the roots of the organization and rely on efforts of the volunteers.”

In mid-December, McWilliams contacted FHFH, and he said the program raised his quota from 35 to 50.

As the season goes on and the donations keep coming, McWilliams is thinking about partnering up with some local churches to fundraise for this cause so he could keep processing the donated meat.

But that is still in the preliminary stage, “in the works,” he said.

​Farmers and Hunters welcomes new supporters and volunteers to join our cause. To make a secure online donation, CLICK HERE.  Any amount you can give is appreciated and will help us continue to provide needed meet to the hungry.  CLICK HERE to learn more about volunteering with FHFH.

Jayme O’Connell lives in Chicago and is the founder of Salt Block Kitchen.  She organizes “Cooking for Causes” events for small groups.  Jayme said, “The mission of Salt Block Kitchen’s is to help people connect with their food, and support the sustainable food ecosystem.  We were thrilled to be able to raise money to support Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry.  This represents the best of community, education, conservation, and giving back.  It was a wonderful way to start the year.”
 
On January 2 Jayme held Salt Block Kitchen’s “Cooking for Causes” workshop and hosted six guests.  They enjoyed venison meatballs in homemade tomato sauce, and then made venison stuffed potato skins, pulled venison sliders, and finished with mini venison “croque madames” topped with quail eggs!
 
Workshop guests met new friends, learned about ethical deer hunting, and contributed $590 to Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry. Salt Block Kitchen is grateful for their generosity and thrilled to start the year off strong!
 
FHFH thanks Jayme and the cooking workshop guests for supporting our mission to end hunger!

Rack of Venison with a Caramelized Shallot Blackberry Sauce
By Bobbie Jo Wasilko
He Hunts She Cooks

A perfect pairing:  A roasted venison rack and fresh blackberries!
 
Caramelized Shallots
10 Shallots (peeled and sliced)
3 Whole cloves garlic (peeled)
3 Tbs. Butter
2 Tbs. Sugar
½ Cup beef or venison stock
3 Sprigs of fresh thyme
 
Blackberry Reduction
1 Cup Cabernet Sauvignon wine
1/2 Cup Port wine
1 1/2 Cups beef or venison stock
1 Tbs. Allspice berries
1 Tbs. Black peppercorns
1/2 Tbs. Juniper berries
4 Sprigs fresh thyme
 
Venison Rack
1 Eight rib rack of venison (substitute antelope, elk, boar)
Grape Seed Oil
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
 
Additional Items
2 Pints of fresh blackberries
2 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. Sugar
 
Directions
Generously salt (fresh or defrosted) rack of venison with Kosher or Sea Salt 24 hours ahead and wrap in cling wrap and place in the fridge overnight.  Salting the meat 24 hours ahead really brings out the flavor, and makes it juicy!

For the Caramelized Shallots
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In an oven safe sauté pan, add butter, shallots and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes over medium high heat.  Add sugar and coat shallots, then add fresh thyme and stock.  Place the pan in the oven and roast shallots for 45 minutes.  Remove and set aside.
 
For the Blackberry Reduction
In a small pot, add both wines, and stock.  Lightly crush allspice, peppercorns, and juniper berries to release their flavor, and then add to the pot, along with the fresh thyme, and bay leaf. Reduce by half over medium heat (this could take about 1 hour).  Once the reduction is reduced by half, pour it into the pan with the shallots and heat the mixture on medium high heat, until it becomes syrupy about 7 minutes.  Then place a small strainer over a clean pot, and pour the shallots/liquid over the strainer, and discard the shallots, herbs, and peppercorns ( they have done their job).  Reserve the sauce in the fridge overnight, if desired.
 
For the Venison Rack
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Remove the rack from the fridge an hour before cooking to bring to room temperature.  Re-season the meat with a bit more salt and fresh cracked pepper.  In an oven safe pan (cast iron), heat 4 tablespoons grape seed oil over medium high heat.  Sear the meat on both sides then place in the oven and roast, until desired doneness.  I recommend cooking no further than medium rare (about 25 minutes).
 
To Finish
While the roast is cooking, place the reserved sauce back to the stove and re-heat.  In a sauté pan, heat 2 Tbs. butter, and add blackberries and sauté for 2 minutes.  Add sugar and sauté 1 minute.  Add the berries to the sauce.  Carve the venison into servings and pour blackberry sauce over top. 

Notes
*To save time, I suggest making the caramelized shallots/reduction 1-2 days ahead, and sauté blackberries just before serving

The Community Foundation of Frederick County has awarded $700 in grant funding to the Frederick County, Maryland Chapter of Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry. This funding will assist FHFH in providing approximately 2,000 servings of nutritious meat to the food banks and feeding programs that feed the needy of Frederick County.

On behalf of those in Frederick County who struggle with hunger, we thank The Community Foundation of Frederick County for their generosity and support of our mission to end hunger.

The Community Foundation of Frederick County is dedicated to connecting people who care with causes that matter to enrich the quality of life in Frederick County now and for future generations.  For years, they have translated simple good intentions into powerful acts of philanthropy that build a stronger, more vibrant community not only for today, but for tomorrow as well.

Inspired by a passion for the hunt and compassion for the hungry, FHFH is committed to addressing the problem of hunger in America.  Since 1997 the organization has provided  18 million servings of meat to those in need.

Venison Chili
By Bobbie Jo Wasilko
He Hunts She Cooks
Serves 6

Venison Chili is great for game day or any day! I’ve created this recipe to be a bit more mild than the “three alarm” type, but you can add as much heat as you like. Make this chili the day ahead and let the flavors really come together for a “winning” combination of spicy, savory, smokey and sweet!

Ingredients

3 lb. Venison Bottom Round (*you can also add a pound of ground wild game sausage, if desired)
3/4 pound Bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces (lardons)
1 large Onion, chopped
16 ounces Tomato Sauce
28 ounces, Canned Diced Tomatoes
7 cloves Garlic, minced
1-1/2 cups Beef Stock
1 cup Beer (I used Tecate Mexican Beer)

Dump #1: Mix

2 tbs. Onion Powder
2 tbs. Dried Oregano
2 tsp. Kosher Salt
1 tsp. Black Pepper
1-1/2 tsp. Smoked Paprika
1-1/2 tsp. Pasilla Chili Powder
1-1/2 tsp. California Chili Powder
1-1/2 tsp. Cayenne Chili Powder

Dump #2: Mix

7 Tbs. Prepared Dona Maria brand Mole, from an 8 ounce jar (substitute 6 ounces 70% dark chocolate)
4 Tbs. Brown Sugar
3/4 tsp. Ground Cumin

Instructions

1. Bring the Venison to room temperature, 1 hour before cooking.
2. Cut the venison into 1 inch cubes, and season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
3. Cut bacon into 1 inch pieces (lardons) and sauté in a large pot until crispy.
4. Remove the bacon to a plate and leave the drippings in the pot.
5. Add the cubed venison, a few at a time, and brown over medium-high heat.
6. Once all the venison is browned, remove it to a bowl.
7. Add the chopped onion and garlic to the pot and sauté over medium-heat for 3 minutes.
8. Add the browned venison, bacon lardons, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, beef stock, beer and spice dump #1 to the pot and give it a stir.
9. Turn the heat down to it’s lowest setting and simmer, covered with a lid, stirring occasionally for 2 hours.
10. Check it after 2 hours for tenderness, it should begin breaking down a bit.
11. Add spice dump #2 and stir.
12. If it looks like there is too much liquid, leave the lid on half way to reduce.
13. Continue simmering for another 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
14. You want the liquid to reduce to thicken the chili, but not to the point of being dried out.
15. Refrigerate the chili for at least 24 hours, before serving to allow the flavors to really meld into the chili.

Notes

Add any toppings you like and serve with a side of beans and your favorite cornbread!

*1 pound of ground wild game sausage can be sautéed along with the venison.

FHFH welcomes the following new meat processors to our FHFH team and thanks them for joining us in the fight against hunger:

Pennsylvania:
Gehris Meats, LLC – Topton

Idaho:
Ball Storage & Ice, LLC – Idaho Falls

Indiana:
Bloomfield Processing, Inc. – Bloomfield
K&K Deer Processing – Shelbyville

Maryland:
Harwood Butcher Shop – Harwood
JB Farms – Taneytown
Woodlawn Butcher Shop – Sharpsburg

Ohio:
Hunt Butcher Shop – Greenville
Newbury Country Meats – Newbury Township

Texas:
Alamo Wild Game – Comfort
Bandera Meat Market – Bandera

You can donate deer, elk and livestock free of charge to any of the inspected, approved meat processors that participate with the FHFH program.

If you would like to donate deer or livestock to FHFH, please CLICK HERE to find a participating FHFH meat processor.

The Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore has awarded $1,500 in grant funding to the Wicomico County, Maryland Chapter of Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry. This funding will assist FHFH in providing over 3,000 servings of nutritious meat to the food banks and feeding programs that feed the needy of the county.

On behalf of those in Wicomico County who struggle with hunger, we thank the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore for their generosity and support of our mission to end hunger.

The Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore is a public foundation serving the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland, specifically Somerset County, Wicomico County, and Worcester County.  Established in 1984, the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore is a local philanthropic expert committed to connecting donors with community needs.

Inspired by a passion for the hunt and compassion for the hungry, FHFH is committed to addressing the problem of hunger in America.  Since 1997 the organization has provided  18 million servings of meat to those in need.

A team of volunteers from FHFH helped at the Whitetails Unlimited banquet on September 30. 

The FHFH Northwest Ohio Chapter benefitted from a portion of the banquet proceeds. 
Northwest Ohio FHFH co-coordinator Allen Dunlap said, “It was our most successful year ever!” 

Thank you to everyone involved for making this a successful event and helping raise funds to feed the hungry!