Food banks in the Lethbridge area are in need of assistance to cover the expenses of processing donated cattle into meat for distribution. This call for help is supported by counties across Alberta, urging the provincial government to reinstate a previous pilot program that covered the costs of butchering and packaging beef for food bank clients. The program, which ran for two years, resulted in over 17,000 kilograms of ground beef being provided to food banks in southwest Alberta.
Following the conclusion of the pilot program, the Interfaith Food Bank Society of Lethbridge continued to accept cattle donations from ranchers through local butchers, using their own funds to cover the processing costs. To alleviate the impact of high beef prices, the organization is seeking to increase livestock donations while acknowledging the financial strain of processing expenses during a period of heightened demand.
Efforts are underway to secure corporate sponsors and engage the farming community to raise awareness about the ongoing program. The current process relies heavily on monetary donations to cover the processing expenses, which can amount to $600 to $800 per cow. While this cost is lower than purchasing the equivalent amount of meat wholesale, it remains a challenge for the organization.
In a similar initiative in Medicine Hat, the Kinsmen Club sponsored a beef donation program, spending around $10,000 to process $30,000 worth of ground beef for a local food hub. Ranchers, such as Ryan Kasko, express willingness to donate livestock but emphasize the need for broader support to offset processing costs.
Donating livestock not only benefits food banks but also aids ranchers in managing their herds and reducing feeding expenses. Andrea Stroeve-Sawa, a rancher near Taber, supports the Taber Food Bank through both monetary contributions and livestock donations, underscoring the importance of providing quality protein to the community.
Despite these efforts, there is currently no provincial funding available to cover the costs associated with processing donated beef. While the government highlights existing facility grants and food security funding, there remains a gap in funding for processing livestock donations. The hope is to establish a sustainable funding mechanism to support food banks in processing animal donations in the future.