Share the Harvest
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Charitable meat donation program allows hunters to feed the hungry.
Concerned
about the hunger that burdens
many Missourians, the Conservation Department
has found a way to help families in need. In
1992, archers in Missouri began a program
to share the deer they harvested with those
less fortunate. From that beginning developed
a statewide system run by the Conservation
Department and the Conservation Federation
of Missouri called Share the Harvest, a program
that provides an easy way for hunters to donate
venison to Missourians in need of red meat.
Share the Harvest is a WIN WIN WIN program. Hunters win by doing their part to help people in need; cooperating processing plants win by getting positive feedback for their involvement and donations of locker space; and participating organizations win by having a ready-made service project for a good cause. Plus, the Department of Conservation has yet another tool to use in management of Missouri’s valuable deer resource.
Why
Share the Harvest?
Many families and individuals have no dependable source of protein in their diets. Red meat can provide that important component. Deer is a valuable source of protein; but, unlike most red meat, is unusually low in fat. Through Share the Harvest, Missouri hunters can help provide this part of the daily diet.
Who can get the meat?
Many people in Missouri can benefit from this program. Families or individuals simply have to contact a participating distributing agency; the agency will allocate the venison according to its supply.
How do hunters donate venison to the program?
It's easy to donate. Hunters take their deer to an approved processing plant (see list in the "Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information" booklet), and simply tell the processor how much venison they wish to donate. The hunter has the option of donating a few pounds or the whole deer. There is no price reduction for partial donations. The processor then packages and stores the meat until it’s transported to a distributing agency by the coordinator. Agencies receiving venison will distribute it to ensure that all venison is used and is goes to where it serves the greatest need.
Price reduction program for whole-deer donations
The Conservation Federation and its partners will
reimburse processors, at an amount set each year, to
process a whole deer donated to Share the Harvest.
Hunters who donate an entire deer will complete a
voucher provided by their processor. The hunter’s bill
is automatically reduced by the set amount. At the
end of the season, processors will send the vouchers
to the Conservation Federation for reimbursement.
Additional funds, which may be available from local sources, can further reduce processing cost. In some instances the entire processing cost may be covered! This is especially true in those areas of high deer density where a reduction in the deer population is warranted. Contact your local processor for more information.
How do I get involved?
You can get involved as a member of almost any club or organization that would like to work with the Share the Harvest program. Sponsoring volunteer clubs are vital to this project. They provide promotion and manpower on a local level to a program that addresses the needy in their area. In addition many local groups provide additional funding to augment the moneys paid by the Conservation Federation on the donation of whole deer. Raising local funds greatly increases donations.
How to get Share the Harvest started in your area
- Clubs or organizations wishing to coordinate the Share the Harvest program in their area may contact a conservation agent in their county or the Conservation Department at the address on the back panel. Agencies that distribute venison also may fulfill the role of coordinator.
- Distributing agencies should be nonprofit charitable organizations. They must have proper storage for the meat, and agree to distribute uncooked venison directly to families or individuals.
- The coordinator should locate a deer processor who agrees to participate in Share the Harvest. Processors also must be a government-inspected facility.
- Once agreements are made with coordinator, deer processors and distributing agencies, permission must be obtained from the Conservation Department to conduct a Share the Harvest program.
- After the local conservation agent approves the coordinator’s choice of meat processors and distributing agencies, the coordinator will receive written authorization and instructions.
Share
the Harvest
Guidelines
- Requests to participate in Share the Harvest should be submitted to the director of the Conservation Department through a local conservation agent. Requests must include names of participating meat processors and the distributing agency.
- Meat processors must be licensed by the Conservation Department to process deer and be subject to government health inspection, or be approved by the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s Meat Inspection Program.
- State and local health regulations must be followed.
- A conservation agent must initially approve the coordinator, processors and distributing agency.
- Only venison from white-tailed deer legally taken in Missouri will be accepted.
- Donated venison must be processed at approved meat processing facilities.
- Records detailing number of donors, pounds of donated venison, and charitable recipient group must be kept by the coordinator, and submitted to the local conservation agent no later than Feb. 1.
- Donated venison must be stored and transported in department-provided plastic bags that display the Share the Harvest logo, or in approved containers clearly marked with Share the Harvest labels.
- Venison may not be served cooked by the distributing agency, and must be frozen at some time prior to being eaten.
- All donated venison must be distributed by May 1.
- Approval for participation is required annually.
If you want a successful Share the Harvest program:
Knowledgeable, enthusiastic processors are a vital key to a successful program. Likewise the coordinating organization needs to take an active role in promoting the program. Having volunteers available at deer processing plants during the firearms deer season to personally contact hunters, hand out literature and answer questions about the program will greatly increase donations. However, don’t interfere with the meat processor’s business.
For more information on the Share the Harvest program, contact:
Share the HarvestMissouri Department of Conservation
P.O. Box 180
Jefferson City, M0 65102-0180
(573) 751-4115 Conservation Federation of Missouri
728 West Main
Jefferson City, MO 65101
(573) 634-2322
www.confedmo.com
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