Effingham, IL-(Effingham Radio)- A new pilot program is trying to get off the ground in Central Illinois.
University of Illinois Extension is currently working on a pilot for a venison donation program in twelve Illinois counties. The goal of our program is to provide a pathway to expand community access to lean protein throughout East-Central Illinois. By engaging hunters to donate their deer and meat processors to produce ground venison, a local source of lean protein will be available to food pantry clients. Clients will also receive recipes and resources from Illinois Extension to help them prepare venison at home, which might be unfamiliar to some individuals and families.
I was able to discuss some details of this program with Michelle Fombelle and Meredith Probst, representatives from University of Illinois’ extension office, to get better insight on what the program needs to get started, and what it could look like.
Question 1: How did the Illinois Deer Donation Project come about, and what does it entail?
Question 2: Are you looking to cover all the counties listed (DeWitt, Macon, Piatt, Coles, Cumberland, Douglas, Moultrie, Shelby, Jasper, Clay, Fayette, and Effingham)?
Question 3: Where can people interested in this program find more information?
The website to go to for more information on this pilot program is go.illinois.edu/deerdonation.
For more information on University of Illinois Extension Nutrition, contact Michelle Fombelle at mfombell@illinois.edu. Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in program and employment. If you need reasonable accommodation to participate in programming, contact the program coordinator. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time for meeting your needs.
This Interview Was Conducted By Derek Warren, News Director For Cromwell Media, Effingham
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