Ag cooperative and food banks have shared mission to feed the world
Members of Landmark Services Cooperative donated 9,430 meals to help feed hungry families in need in southern Wisconsin in August.
Together, Landmark members raised more than $3,100 for Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin and its sister foodbank, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin. The money was raised during three customer appreciation events in Cottage Grove, Union Grove and Albany. The donation will support services in Second Harvest's 16-county service area in southwestern Wisconsin and Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin's 36-county coverage area. One dollar donated to Second Harvest provides three meals for those in need.Working with Second Harvest has been educational and moving, said Dave Henning, the northern feed operations manager at Landmark Services Cooperative in Cottage Grove.
"This has been an eye-opening experience," Henning said. "I have learned a lot of facts about hunger and how many people are honestly affected. That's a need you can't turn away from once you learn about it."
Lisa Gundlach, Second Harvest's major gifts officer, attended the event in Cottage Grove to join Landmark employees selling raffle tickets to raise money for Second Harvest. She enjoyed the generous spirit of the members in attendance.
"We are trying to end hunger through community partnerships, and Landmark is a perfect example of that," Gundlach said. "Great family-friendly events such as this help us reach new audiences with the message that you don't always see hunger, but it is among us in rural and urban communities alike. One in nine people in southwestern Wisconsin can't access the food they need, and that is why it is so important for us to be here."
Landmark was inspired to work with Second Harvest through the "Drive to Feed Kids" program created by feed ingredient supplier NutraBlend. Drive to Feed Kids is a national organization dedicated to educating consumers about agriculture's role in feeding the world.
"American farmers are the most efficient food producers in the world, and we produce the safest food in the world," said John Charley, territory manager for NutraBlend. "By connecting to Second Harvest through our customer, Landmark, we can spread that message while supporting Second Harvest's work to make food available to families who need support."
Landmark looks forward to continuing to support Second Harvest, Henning said.
"The need is so great, and it's only going to grow," Henning said. "We have a shared mission to feed people, and we will continue working together to accomplish that."
Second Harvest Foodbank of southern Wisconsin serves 16 counties in southwestern Wisconsin. To learn more or to support Second Harvest's mission, contact Lisa Gundlach
For more information on Landmark Services Cooperative's programs, contact Kristi Olson at kristi.olson@landmark.coop
Landmark Services Cooperative is a member-owned cooperative business dedicated to providing both rural and urban customers the highest quality products and services. For more than 80 years, Landmark has been providing agronomy, energy and retail services, animal nutrition, grain, retail and transportation products and services to its more than 15,000 members in Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois. Employing more than 500 people in rural areas and reaching sales in excess of $450 million, Landmark provides the benefits of volume buying and access to state-of-the-art technology to its members while maintaining a hands-on, customer service-oriented approach in each of the communities we serve. For more information, visit www.landmark.coop
10.12.2015