Ag Day in Wyoming!

First Lady Jennie Gordon’s Wyoming Hunger Initiative launched in October 2019 with a very specific goal in mind: to do whatever possible to support anti-hunger organizations working tirelessly throughout the state. Wyoming Hunger Initiative recognizes that where there’s a hungry child, a hungry family, senior, or veteran isn’t far away, and thus works to prevent food insecurity by increasing awareness and support for the work of local anti-hunger organizations statewide through innovative programs that connect like-minded organizations as well as funding support for local solutions.

Food from the Farm + Ranch is one program under the Wyoming Hunger Initiative umbrella focusing on providing high-quality, locally-grown protein to food pantries and anti-hunger organizations throughout Wyoming. Since the launch of Food from the Farm + Ranch, over 100,000 lbs of Wyoming-raised beef, pork, and lamb have been donated by Wyoming ranchers and other community purchases through local county fair livestock sales. This generosity has made the program’s vision a reality for scores of families; it's truly a Wyoming solution to a Wyoming challenge.

In 2023, in partnership with Wyoming Stock Growers Association, Wyoming Beef Council, and 307 Meat Company, Wyoming Hunger Initiative launched a new program under the Food from the Farm + Ranch banner called Beef for Backpacks. Thanks to the support of corporate sponsors and local beef donors, Wyoming Hunger Initiative was able to provide over 215,000 beef sticks to weekend food bag programs statewide for the 2023-2024 school year.

So many people came together to make Beef for Backpacks possible in the first year. 307 Meat Company in Laramie has and continues to do all of the processing of the beef donated to this program. Wyoming Stock Growers Association seeks out beef donations to the program through their network. Wyoming Beef Council and Multivac provide all of the labeling for these snack sticks. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming, John P. Ellbogen Foundation, Northrop Grumman, Jonah Bank of Wyoming, Albertsons-Safeway, FunBiz Concessions, Farm Credit Services, the Catholic Diocese, and numerous individual donors came together to fund this incredible opportunity to get local, high-quality protein in the hands of children across Wyoming.

1 beef translates into 2,880 snack stick packages that can serve 80 kids for 36 weeks. 5,485 kids are being served through weekend food bag programs around the state. Fresh food and sources of high-quality protein are notoriously expensive and difficult to procure for the food bank system. As a producer herself, the first lady’s vision for Wyoming Hunger Initiative was to encompass a component of agriculture that would be part of the solution to food insecurity in our state.

You don’t need special training in fighting food insecurity to make a difference. You only need to identify a need and figure out how best to help fill it. Food insecurity is a challenge Wyoming faces, but every Wyoming county has an army of anti-hunger heroes ready to welcome new warriors to the fight. Consider this your invitation to make a difference. Together, we can end hunger in Wyoming.