Throughout the summer, Mennonite Central Committee Ontario supporters raised $16,000 so that ground pork from some of the thousands of culled breeding sows in Ontario can reach families who need healthy protein in their diet. The pork will be distributed through Ontario Food Banks.
“Thanks to their goodwill and initiative, we will be able to ensure that more pork is available to those Ontarians who are forced to turn to food banks,” said Adam Spence, executive director of the Ontario Association of Food Banks. “We’re delighted by the Mennonite Central Committee’s dedication to helping their neighbours.”
For the last number of months, Ontario pork producers, along with those in other provinces have been reducing their sow herds in an effort to stabilize prices and allow producers to exit the business with some compensation for emptying their breeding barns. MCCO was able to work with producers, the Ontario Association of Food Banks, as well as Ontario Pork to assure that there was processing capacity and demand for additional ground pork.
”It’s a difficult time for the pork farming community, and we are grateful that many producers, food banks, and donors were eager to see this meat reach people in need,” said Dan Driedger, resource development director for MCC Ontario.
