Feeding America campaign back this year with a local twist

The National Farmers Union is working again this year with Feeding America to raise money to help food banks across the nation. The difference this year is that our fundraising pledge gives Farmers Union members and friends an option to route their donation directly to their local food bank.

NFU, through our state organizations and individual members across the country has pledged to raise $50,000 for Feeding America. As with the past two campaigns, you can donate directly to Feeding America online through NFU’s page on the Feeding America site.

• Click this link to donate now on Feeding America’s secure NFU donations page.

Or, if you prefer to ensure that your donation is used exclusively by your regional foodbank, but still counts for NFU’s pledge, you can do the following:

• Click this link to go to the NFU website’s Feeding America page. You will follow the instructions in the second choice for donating.

“For the third consecutive year, Farmers Union members and supporters have pledged to raise $50,000 to benefit Feeding America,” said NFU President Roger Johnson. “The work that Feeding America does directly impacts our rural communities. NFU’s family farmer and rancher members are proud to grow and raise the food that feeds our country, and our commitment to ending hunger in our own communities is a natural extension of that work.”

According to Feeding America, rates of food insecurity among rural households are generally lower than urban households, but slightly higher than the national average. The irony is that many of these food-insecure households are in the very rural and farm communities whose productivity feeds the world and provides low-cost wholesome food for American consumers. In fact, 15.5 percent of rural households are food insecure, an estimated 3.1 million households.

“Farmers work long, hard hours to feed the world, but with one in six Americans facing hunger and 14 million children being served by Feeding America in the United States, we need your help!” said Doug Peterson, Minnesota Farmers Union president and chairman of the Feeding America campaign. “National Farmers Union and Feeding America believe we can do more, and are teaming up to feed the hungry. You too can make a difference by donating today.”