MDC and CFM thank deer hunters, processors, and sponsors for sharing the harvest

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the Conservation Federation of Missouri (CFM) thank the thousands of Missouri deer hunters who donated 247,575 pounds of venison to the state’s Share the Harvest program this past deer season, including 5,394 whole deer.

MDC and CFM also thank the participating meat processors throughout the state who grind the donated deer meat into ready-to-use packages, and the many sponsors who financially support the program. The donated deer meat goes to local food banks and food pantries to help feed hungry Missourians all around the state. Meat-processing fees are covered entirely or in part by numerous local sponsors, along with statewide sponsors that include Shelter Insurance, Bass Pro Shops, Feeding Missouri, and MDC. 

Share the Harvest is coordinated by MDC and CFM and has been helping feed hungry Missourians for more than 30 years. Since the program was started in 1992, it has provided about 5 million pounds of lean, healthy venison to help feed hungry Missourians. To get Share the Harvest venison, contact local food banks or food pantries.

"Hunters started Share the Harvest more than 30 years ago because they saw a need in their communities,” said MDC Director Sara Parker Pauley. “And hunters remain the driving force behind this popular program that helps feed our fellow Missourians who are in need. We sincerely thank the thousands of deer hunters who support Share the Harvest, along with the many participating meat processors and sponsors who help make it possible.”

CFM Executive Director Tyler Schwartze added, “The donated venison stays in the local areas where the deer were harvested so it truly is helping out neighbors in need. We greatly appreciate all the citizens of this great state that have made this possible over the past three decades.”

The National Institutes of Health state that children need protein in their diets for proper growth and development, and adults need it to maintain good health. Yet many Missourians can't afford or can't get to good sources of protein. Through Share the Harvest, Missouri hunters can help provide those in need with high-quality protein in the form of naturally lean, locally harvested deer meat.

For more information on Share the Harvest, visit CFM at confedmo.org/share-the-harvest/.