COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio’s food banks are constantly being filled with canned foods. Now, thanks to an influx of cash, Ohio’s food banks are prepared to work with the state’s livestock producers to get local proteins in the hands of needy families across the state.

In October, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s administration committed $15 million from Ohio’s American Rescue Plan Act funds to support the Ohio Agricultural Clearance Program.

 “These funds will be used by the Ohio Association of Foodbanks to purchase and distribute much-needed and highly sought-after Ohio protein products to households struggling to meet their basic needs during these times of historic inflation and rising food prices,” said Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks. “Our organization will use the funds to purchase protein foods directly from farmers, livestock producers and co-op operations and processors as we already do through the Ohio Agriculture Clearance program.”

Hamler-Fugitt said the purchases will fill an acute need because they’re “desperately needed high-cost, in-demand meats and protein foods that are not available through donation channels and USDA programs.”

“Foodbanks and food pantries have little to no protein available to distribute to hungry Ohioans,” she said.

Working with local farmers is nothing new. The state’s food banks take on surplus and unmarketable fruit, vegetables and dairy products from nearly 100 Ohio farmers and growers through the Ohio Agricultural Clearance Program. Last year, food banks distributed 24.5 million pounds of food from Ohio producers through that program.

“This extra $15 million will build on that work to focus specifically on animal protein,” said Joree Novotny, director external affairs for the Ohio Association of Foodbanks. “This dedicated funding for procuring protein items will allow us to put those center-of-the-plate items on the shelves more consistently for food insecure Ohio families in the near team, and we hope we can continue it in longer term.”

The state’s livestock industry groups were instrumental in getting the funding OK’ed, and they’re eager to connect farmers to food banks and other local hunger relief partners. Leaders of the Ohio Dairy Producers Association, Ohio Cattlemen’s Association, Ohio Pork Council, Ohio Poultry Association and Ohio Sheep Improvement Association got the initiative rolling by sending a letter to the governor and state legislative leaders in August, urging them to approve the $15 million spend.

The American Dairy Association Mideast sent an email Nov. 1, informing its farmers of the opportunity the funding boost creates to “sell or donate their cull cattle to the Ohio Association of Foodbanks to be processed into hamburger.” The dairy group created an online form for interested producers to fill out to get involved with the program.

“Animal protein products can be difficult to prioritize in the food banks’ spending because they tend to be more expensive than other products,” Novotny said. “The food banks need to get the biggest bang for their buck.”

The Ohio Association of Foodbanks originally requested $183 million, which included $50 million for food and personal care items. The group also asked for funds to renovate and expand foodbank warehouses and facilities and improve and expand the hunger relief networks’ transportation fleet.

Any Ohio livestock producer interested in working with the food bank association should reach out to their respective commodity group or directly to Ohio Foodbanks staff. Carol Whitmer, carol@ohiofoodbanks.org, handles meat and eggs. Erin Wright, erin@ohiofoodbanks.org, handles dairy.