A-State Partners with Arkansas Hunters to Help Process Food for Arkansas Children

 

JONESBORO – The Meat Market at Arkansas State University's College of Agriculture will partner with Arkansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry (AHFH) to produce and distribute shelf-stable snacks to students statewide in an effort to combat food insecurity.

According to the USDA Economic Research Service, nearly 17% of households in Arkansas experienced food insecurity at some point between 2020 and 2022 – the highest rate in the United States. Feeding America reports that approximately 467,550 people in Arkansas face hunger, and 134,690 of them are children – meaning 1 in 5 children face food insecurity.

Frozen, deboned venison from Arkansas deer processors will be sent to the modern A-State Meat Market in Jonesboro. Students and staff at the university then process the meat and package snack sticks in vacuum-sealed bags, with two sticks per package. Agriculture students gain additional experience in meat processing and packaging that complements the lab's existing retail operations.

Hunters Feeding the Hungry, a nonprofit organization, was founded in 2000 to help reduce hunger in the state by providing free venison to food pantries and shelters across Arkansas. Since its founding, hunters have donated more than 1 million pounds to provide more than 5 million servings of healthy wild game meat. The organization will coordinate distribution to schools across Arkansas.

Ronnie Ritter, HFH director, said, "Five years ago, we saw hunger among children, especially in the school system and on weekends." "We sold some shelf-stable snack sticks and gave them to children at an event at First National Bank Arena at A-State. We quickly realized that kids loved them and wanted more. We then reached out to schools to see if they would be interested and received a lot of positive feedback. That was five years ago, and the only place producing shelf-stable snacks like this was in Missouri."

The organization recently learned about the Meat Market expansion at A-State, and the university was eager to partner in the effort to address childhood hunger in Arkansas. About 1,000 pounds of meat are being processed at A-State, with another 700-800 pounds expected to be delivered in the coming weeks. Ritter said the units are expected to produce 40,000 to 50,000 packages throughout the season through February.

Ritter said, "Today we are proud to announce that we are partnering with Arkansas State University to produce all of our future snack sticks." "The newly renovated facility is the first state-licensed plant, and students have the opportunity to learn and create a wide range of food products from fresh to fully cooked."

Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward announced in March that the A-State Meat Market is one of the first two facilities licensed under the Arkansas Meat Inspection Program, which was authorized by Act 418 of 2021 and finalized through a cooperative agreement with the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service. The program allows the state to inspect meat products shipped within Arkansas and puts the state on the path toward becoming a USDA-inspected facility.

Ward said, "We are thrilled to have played a small part in today's announcement between Arkansas State University and Arkansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry (AHFH)." "This is a perfect example of what can happen when we all work together."

In 2021, the A-State College of Agriculture received a $500,000 grant to expand and improve the Meat Market lab space through the Arkansas Meat and Poultry Processing Grant Program in 2020. The project was designed to enhance student skills and overall meat safety.

Dr. Mickey LaTour, dean of the A-State College of Agriculture, said the partnership serves a critical need statewide – especially helping children have access to food over the weekends – while also fulfilling educational goals and supporting the university's growing on-campus operations.

LaTour said, "This is the kind of opportunity and partnership we envisioned as we sought to expand our on-campus operations and elevate the profile of our agriculture program while serving the community." "We are thrilled to work with Ronnie and his life-changing organization. And we wouldn't be here today without the financial support of the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, Secretary Wes Ward, and the legislature."

The snack stick project is led by Corey Readnour, director of the Meat Market, who worked closely with students, LaTour, and Vice Chancellor Donald "Bud" Kennedy to create the final product.

A-State Chancellor Todd Shields said, "This partnership helps address a significant need in the state, and this is exactly what Arkansas State is about." "I am proud to know that our students, faculty, and staff will contribute to a significant effort to help ensure children don't go hungry in our state. We are grateful to Ronnie, his organization, and the hunters who make this food source possible, as well as our state leadership for providing the funding for us to pursue solutions-based projects."

About 400,000 packages of meat sticks have been distributed by AHFH to 100 campuses since 2018, serving thousands of students. LaTour said the meat sticks are gluten-free, but they are not processed in a completely gluten-free facility, so the university cannot guarantee there is no cross-contamination. Venison is a very lean protein, so the recipe includes pork fat and various seasonings to optimize flavor.