As the Covid-19 pandemic continues and families and individuals continue to struggle with food insecurity, the Farmers Feeding Utah  campaign will hold its next ‘Miracle Project’ and delivery of food on Friday, January 29th from 5-7 p.m. in St. George.

In keeping with recommendations to slow the spread of Covid-19 and as has been the case with all previous ‘Miracle Projects’, all volunteers will continue to be required to wear masks. Those receiving food will stay in vehicles and have food placed inside their vehicles.

The distribution of food will take place at the Dixie Convention Center (1835 S. Convention Center Dr.) in St. George.

The event will provide direct food donations to approximately 1,200 families, with additional food provided to clients of the food pantry. Families will receive bags of Utah-grown food, including potatoes, apples, beef, milk, cheese, eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, and more. The event in St. George will even include nuts grown from Washington County.

“As the impacts of this pandemic continue, we are happy to continue helping families get food all while ensuring our farmers and ranchers stay viable in our communities. This really is how Utahns take care of each other,” said Ron Gibson, president of the Utah Farm Bureau Federation.

“As we approach 11 months in the COVID-19 pandemic, families are hurting more than ever,” said Heidi LeBlanc, director of the Hunger Solutions Institute at Utah State University and its Create Better Health program. “There is currently a 300 percent increased need for food assistance, and getting healthy, high-quality foods (from Utah farmers) is critical to helping families gain food security. Farmers Feeding Utah has been a miracle.”

“We have worked with the farmers in our county to help some families this past year, but we’re happy to help even more stay afloat with this concentrated effort,” said Sherrie Tate, president of the Washington County Farm Bureau.

Farmers Feeding Utah is a project of the Miracle of Agriculture Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization that was set up as the charitable arm of the Utah Farm Bureau Federation. Additional logistical and in-kind support has come from invaluable partners, including Utah State University (USU) and its Hunger Solutions Institute & Create Better Health program, the Utah Department of Agriculture & Food (UDAF), The Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-day Saints, Farm Bureau Financial Services, and others.

Volunteers will be notifying the recently unemployed and those struggling with food insecurity with details about picking up the food on Jan. 29. Donations to the ‘Miracle of Agriculture Foundation’ for the Farmers Feeding Utah project are used to purchase, process, and deliver food to families in need, giving both struggling farmers and Utah families a hand up. 

In 2020, the Farmers Feeding Utah program has provided approximately one million pounds of food, with a retail value of more than $1,000,000 to Utah residents in the Navajo Nation, northern Utah, West Salt Lake, Vernal, Provo, Ogden and to smaller community pantries throughout the Wasatch Front. 

To make a tax-deductible contribution to this project, individuals and businesses can go to FarmersFeedingUtah.org.