Today (Monday) marks the start of a two-week effort to feed the needy in Iowa called “Haul Out Hunger.” The state’s largest pork producer will be filling freezers at food banks, pantries, schools and churches. Allyson Ladd, spokeswoman for the Iowa Falls-based Iowa Select Farms, says they’ll be delivering boneless pork loins by the ton. “School is out for summer so food pantry supplies are at an all-time low,” Ladd says. “We schedule our donations so that it’s timely and so these pantries can have access to fresh, high-quality, protein-packed products like pork when families need it most.”

Ladd says the total donation will be around 60-thousand pounds of pork, or about 30 tons. “The pantries really appreciate the five-pound pork loins we donate,” Ladd says. “From each pork loin, families are going to get about 24 servings of pork, so when it’s all said and done, we’ll have donated about 292,000 servings of pork for families in need here in Iowa.”

The effort is also being made possible by the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation. The pork is being delivered through July 2nd. Deliveries at many of the food pantries will be live-streamed on the Iowa Select Farms Facebook page.

(Radio Iowa)