Wyoming families facing hunger received a boost mid-November with the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation (WyFB) Young Farmer & Rancher (YF&R) Committee “Harvest for All” project.  The 21st annual fund drive and raffle to benefit the Food Bank of Wyoming raised $2,414 which is the equivalent of 7,242 meals for Wyoming families facing hunger.

During the state annual meeting Nov. 9-11 in Cheyenne, county Farm Bureau Federations and Wyoming farmers and ranchers donated money to help the food bank in their work with hunger-relief programs across the state of Wyoming.  A raffle for alfalfa seed donated by Allied Seed, a tool set, and a family gift basket also raised funds for the Harvest for All project.  

Uinta County rancher Hannah Guild is the chair of the sub-committee that oversees the “Harvest for All” project. “It’s very rewarding to see a group come together to help raise money that goes to such a good cause,” Guild said. “The members of the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation are incredible and see the need to help those families in our state get food on their tables.” 

In addition to the fund drive, WyFB YF&R Committee members volunteered in May at the Food Bank of Wyoming in Casper. Ten members participated on May 18 where they packed food boxes for the Food Bank of Wyoming. 

“It is an even more rewarding experience for WyFB Young Farmer and Rancher Committee members that get to participate in volunteering at the food bank, where we get to actually see the food, and help pack it up to be sent to families,” Guild stated.

Food Bank of Wyoming Director of Development Jill Stillwagon shared their appreciation for the group’s continued service through the “Harvest for All” project.

“As an organization, we are grateful for the continued partnership with the WyFB Young Farmer & Rancher Committee! As a collective, they have dedicated their time volunteering at the Casper Distribution Center this past year and raised funds to support neighbors in Wyoming that are facing food insecurity,” Stillwagon said. “At a time when 1 in 9 people in Wyoming are experiencing food insecurity, with the funds raised from the 21st annual Harvest for All we will be able to provide over 7,000 meals – an incredible impact!”

The WyFB Young Farmer & Rancher Committee is in its 21st year of joining with the American Farm Bureau Federation YF&R Committee in what is called a “Harvest for All.”  Throughout the program’s twenty-one-year span, the WyFB YF&R Committee has partnered with Farm Bureau Federation members to raise 6,044 pounds of food, $36,278 and 122 hours of volunteer time to help those facing hunger in Wyoming.

The Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation is the state’s largest general agriculture organization.  Members work together from the grassroots to develop agricultural policy, programs and services to enhance the rural lifestyle of Wyoming. The mission of the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation is to represent the voices of Wyoming farmers and ranchers through grassroots policy development while focusing on protecting private property rights, strengthening agriculture, and supporting farm and ranch families through advocacy, education, and leadership development. On the web, www.wyfb.org.

Food Bank of Wyoming is the largest hunger-relief organization in Wyoming and provides food and essentials directly to people facing hunger through more than 150 Hunger Relief Partners across the state. We’ve put the power of community to work for our neighbors in need. We serve as the Wyoming Distribution Center of Food Bank of the Rockies, which is a proud member of the Feeding America network. Everything we do is fueled by the support of our community, volunteers and donors, and every dollar raised in Wyoming stays in Wyoming. For more information, visit wyomingfoodbank.org.