Maine’s Hunters Step Up: Wild Game Program Fights Food Insecurity
A state-run program in Maine is helping address food insecurity by providing wild game meat to local food pantries. Hunters for the Hungry, established in 1996, supplies bear, moose, and deer meat to those in need, filling the protein gap caused by rising grocery prices.
The program has steadily grown over the years and now includes 23 game meat processors.
Gus Nelson, director of The Emergency Food Assistance Program, which oversees the initiative, noted that while the program has expanded, there is still great potential for growth. Many hunters, processors, and pantries remain unaware of the opportunity.
“It is a sort of woods-to-pantry approach,” Nelson explained, emphasizing the value of this direct connection between hunters and those in need.
Hunters can donate all or part of an animal by bringing it to one of the participating processors, who then package and freeze the meat. From there, food pantries or soup kitchens can collect the meat, or the processor can deliver it directly.
In 2023, about 23,000 pounds of wild game meat were processed, up from the previous year.
“There is a lot of enthusiasm in Maine to help people,” said Nathan Lord, an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer who is working to raise awareness of the program.
“There also is a hunting tradition with a rich history. I love hearing the enthusiasm around the program and the people who are addressing food insecurity take pride in helping.”
Many processors, like Alan Boucher of Winslow and Sam Margolin of Norway, take pride in contributing to their communities. Boucher, who has worked with the program for years, processes bear and deer, including roadkill if it’s fresh.
“I like helping people who don’t have much,” he said.
With ongoing efforts to expand, Hunters for the Hungry is poised to provide even more quality protein to Maine’s food pantries in the coming years.
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