Rick Edwards sets a bag of processed pork into a car at the Adams County Farm Bureau on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019 in Quincy. Area farmers donated meat, and the Farm Bureau paid for processing of said meat. Over 700 lbs. of pork was handed out to 14 food pantries within the area. | H-W Photo/Katelyn Metzger Katelyn Metzger 1|

Posted: Jan. 23, 2019 12:01 am Updated: Jan. 25, 2019 10:10 am

QUINCY -- Judy Akers had just two key words to say Thursday to the Adams County Farm Bureau.

"Thank you, thank you," she said. "There's no way to repay them for what they're doing for us. We just so appreciate it."

Adams County Farm Bureau distributed 60 pounds of ground pork, divided into two-pound packages, to each of the 14 Adams County food pantries. Quincy pantries picked up the meat, and the donations were delivered to pantries in Camp Point, Liberty, Mendon and Payson.

Area farmers donated the meat, and Farm Bureau pays for the processing for all the donations.

"It's very rewarding," Adams County Farm Bureau President Rick Edwards said. "Sometimes it feels good to share a little bit."

Dick Foster with the St. Francis Food Pantry said the donation helps the pantry's funds stretch further. "This just is a gift to us that helps us," he said.

The pantry, open on Tuesday mornings and Thursday afternoons, serves over 800 families, providing food every six weeks for parishioners and every eight weeks for others.

Akers said the donation makes a difference to the Ladies of Charity, which is open Mondays and Fridays and serves some 200 people each day, providing food every other month.

The organization makes meat available each day, but "one time we had to go out and buy more in the middle of the day," Akers said. "The need is still so great. The people are so appreciative."

Kabrick's Meat Locker in Plainville and the Golden Locker in Golden both offered Farm Bureau a discount on processing costs for the livestock donated by area farmers. For Thursday's donation, Kabrick's donated $100 of ground meat to help the gift stretch to all the food pantries in the county.

The meat donations grew out of $250 cash donations given by the Farm Bureau to each food pantry at Christmastime to help stock shelves. The organization decided rather than give money it would donate livestock raised by local farmers as a way to help meet the pantries' needs year-round.

"We're getting locally grown, quality meat to people's tables that really need it," Adams County Farm Bureau Manager Shawn Valter said. "Pantries struggle with having protein to give out to those in need."

More than 10,000 pounds of beef and pork have been distributed to the county's food pantries since the program began in 2011.

"There's just always a need out there in the community, more and more each year," Valter said. "We also realize that all year long there's a huge need out there for quality protein."