Bay of Quinte MPP Todd Smith recognized 500 chicken farmers for doing their part to make sure healthy meals are a reality for everyone.
Smith was at Gleaners Food Bank on Friday and thanked the Chicken Farmers of Ontario for their contributions this year which translated into over 1.5 million meals.
The program allows farmers to donate 300 chickens each year, and since the program was developed in 2015, the CFO has supplied 4 million meals.
Smith says in recent years, more and more Ontario residents have turned to food banks regularly and he congratulated local chicken farmers for taking care to ensure their neighbours can take fresh chicken home.
Gleaners Public Relations and Fundraising Coordinator Sarah Kring says many of their clients’ incomes are spent on rent and utilities first, leaving very little to purchase food, especially fresh proteins.
She says programs such as this provide their clients with an item they wouldn’t be able to afford otherwise.
Farmers are also offered a 25% tax credit for the fresh food they donate.
