ABOUT THE FUND

Supporting farm families and all Wisconsin residents.

In partnership with Rural Mutual Insurance Company, Wisconsin Farm Bureau is proud to announce the Wisconsin Food and Farm Support Fund to benefit the state’s farmers and help feed residents in need. The Wisconsin Food and Farm Support Fund will provide support to our state’s farmers and encourage consumption of milk and other agriculture products to ensure farmers continue to have a place to sell their products, and provide Wisconsinites access to nutritious, high-quality foods.

As part of this fundraising effort, Wisconsin Farm Bureau will be collecting monetary donations for Harvest of Hope while Rural Mutual Insurance Company will be raising funds for Feeding Wisconsin. Collectively the fund will reach all corners of our state from the most urban areas to the rural farming communities.

Harvest of Hope

A farm family crisis fund

The Harvest of Hope is a resource for farm families that are struggling financially. It was created in January 1986 to respond to the farm crisis of the 1980s and was intended to be short-term but never really ended. Harvest of Hope has given out over 1,650 gifts totaling more than $1,070,000 over its 34-year history as an organization.

To spread the money among farm families, grants are limited to two gifts of $1,500 over time. The range of farm crisis situations is extensive: climatic conditions (floods, drought, hail, frost), electric power cut-offs, medical or veterinary bills, house or barn fires, feed for cattle, machinery repair, supplies for spring planting or basics like putting food on the table or fuel in the fuel tank.

The mission of the Harvest of Hope is simple: to provide financial help –and hope—to Wisconsin farm families in difficult financial situations.

All administrative costs are covered by a partnering organization, so 100% of donations given to Harvest of Hope go directly to help farm families in need.

Feeding Wisconsin

Fight Hunger – Spark Change

Feeding Wisconsin is the statewide association of the Feeding America food banks that sources warehouses, and provides food to over 750 affiliated agencies and 1,000 local food programs throughout the state. Their vision is a hunger-free Wisconsin and their mission is to help our food banks and partners fight hunger, improve health and strengthen local communities so that everybody in Wisconsin has access to the food and benefits they need to work, learn, play and live healthy lives.

Your monetary donation will be used to process milk that would have otherwise been disposed of (due to lack of processing capacity and demand) and to purchase other food products (think meat, fruits, vegetables or eggs) where farmers have seen decreased market access.

Rural Mutual Insurance will be donating $10,000 to Feeding Wisconsin in support of the Wisconsin Food and Farm Support Fund.

Local Community Support Activities

County Farm Bureaus Supporting Their Communities

Wisconsin farmers play an integral role in putting food on the grocery store shelves and ultimately the dinner table. Farmers are some of the most generous and caring people around, especially in times of need. It is with great pride that we share the following examples of county Farm Bureaus stepping up to make a difference in their local communities.

District 1:

Jefferson, Ozaukee and Washington County Farm Bureaus donated money to all local food pantries.
Racine County Farm Bureau has continued with food pantry donations and created coupons for food pantry patrons to redeem at Kwik Trip for dairy products.
Ozaukee County Farm Bureau member creates Dairyland Pizza to support Wisconsin Ag in the Classroom program
Ozaukee County Farm Bureau partnering with local bar and grill to host “Dogs for Dairy Drive Thru”

District 2:

Green County Farm Bureu accepted the 80 gallon milk challenge from Brodhead FFA. They are looking to support another commodity in coming months.
Rock County Farm Bureau is hosting a dairy drive by donating $1,000 worth of milk to the food pantries and homeless shelters.

District 3:

Lafayette County Farm Bureau partnered with Avon Lock Plant to donate $700 worth of meat to the local food pantry. They are also looking at partnering with others in the area to hand out free dairy products.

District 4:

Counties in District 4 created a map for a Local Producer Shopping Guide.
Buffalo County Farm Bureau partnered with Suncrest Gardens for a Thank a Farmer Pizza Night.
Jackson County Farm Bureau donated $100 to Curds for Kids in addition to other dairy-related donations.
Trempealeau County Farm Bureau donated $250 to Curds for Kids.

District 5:

Fond du Lac County Farm Bureau, milk donation.
Winnebago County Farm Bureau donated 1,000 lbs of string cheese to an area school district for lunch programs. They also donated 36 lbs of butter to local food pantries.
Green Lake, Fond du Lac, Juneau, Marquette and Waushara County Farm Bureaus made monetary donations to local food pantries.
Fond du Lac: Total of $2,500 was donated to seven area pantries
Green Lake: $500 donated to local food pantry and donation was matched by local grocery store
Juneau: $50 donated to five area food pantries
Waushara: $200 donation

District 6:

Brown County Farm Bureau donated $700 to local food pantries to purchase milk and cheese.
Other counties are creating a plan for making a donation.

District 7:

Langlade County Farm Bureau is working with the Antigo food pantry to determine the most effective way to purchase local products.
Oconto County Farm Bureau is working on a Cheese Bucks program.
Shawano, Outagamie and Brown County Farm Bureaus partnered with FROG Country’s Meals in the Field program.
Shawano County Farm Bureau has plans to create a milk donation fund and farmer recognition campaign.
Waupaca County Farm Bureau purchased $1,000 of locally-produced dairy products for distribution to the 10 food pantries in the county.

District 8:

Taylor County Farm Bureau, milk program with local restaurants.
Lincoln County Farm Bureau donated $500 to their local pantry and are exploring how to send products home through the school lunch program.
Marathon County Farm Bureau partnered with Marathon County Partnership for Progressive Agriculture and The Greater Wausau FFA Alumni to send cheese home with families that receive school meals.
Taylor County Farm Bureau partnered with the Medford Chamber of Commerce to purchase dairy products for pantries.
Wood County Farm Bureau is donating to local FFA alumni groups that are sending food/dairy products home through the school system.
Portage and Price County Farm Bureaus are working on being able to send product home.
Portage County donated money, time and resources to the Stevens Point Dairy Drive.
Taylor County Farm Bureau developed a milk program with local restaurants.
Lincoln County Farm Bureau donated money to their local pantry and are exploring how to send products home through the school lunch program.
Marathon County Farm Bureau partnered with Marathon County Partnership for Progressive Agriculture and The Greater Wausau FFA Alumni to send cheese home with families that receive school meals.
Marathon County Farm Bureau partnered with Marathon County Partnership for Progressive Agriculture to deliver cheese through the county’s meal on wheels program and the Mosinee school lunch program.
Taylor County Farm Bureau partnered with the Medford Chamber of Commerce to purchase dairy products for pantries.
Wood County Farm Bureau is donating to local FFA alumni groups that are sending food/dairy products home through the school system.
Price County Farm Bureaus are working on being able to send product home with kids.
Portage County donated money, time and resources to the Stevens Point Dairy Drive.

District 9:

St. Croix County Farm Bureau will be donating $600 to supply cheese to 6 food pantries in the county.