Feeding the need
By Dan LemkeAURI communications director
In addition to kicking the tires on new farm equipment, comparing the latest seed varieties and taking in farm issue forums, Farmfest 2009 visitors will be able to do something to help those in need this summer.
AURI and a number of other Minnesota agriculture organizations are teaming up to collect nonperishable food items, personal care products and cash for the Second Harvest Heartland food bank.
The AURI tent at lot 612 on the Farmfest grounds will be the drop-off site for donations during the outdoor farm show. Second Harvest will then distribute those donations to their network of hunger relief agencies located in 59 counties of Minnesota and Wisconsin.
This year Second Harvest will deliver more than 41 million pounds of food to over one thousand non-profit member agencies and programs, including food shelves, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, senior community centers and children's after school programs.
Even though we live in an area that produces a tremendous amount of food for the rest of the world, there are still many people close to home who are in need, particularly given the difficult current economic environment.
This is an opportunity to help out.
Donations will be accepted during the entire run of Farmfest which takes place from Aug. 4-6 at the Gilfillan Estate near Redwood Falls.
Participating organizations include the Minnesota Soybean Growers, Minnesota Farm Bureau, Minnesota Farmers Union, the Minnesota Corn Growers and AURI.
The year 2009 marks AURI's 20th year of operation so we're trying to do some different things to mark the occasion.
With help from our friends, we are going to celebrate 20 years by collecting gifts for those who find themselves in difficult circumstances.
For more information on the Feed the Need effort or to learn more about AURI, visit us online at www.auri.org .
