Farmers To Families

More than 1,000 boxes of food were distributed Saturday in Mills County as part of the federal Farmers To Families COVID-19 relief program.

Around 750 boxes containing perishable food products - potatoes, apples, milk, cheese, meat and other items - were distributed from the parking lot at Glenwood Community High School and nearly 300 boxes were given out at East Mills Elementary School near Hastings.

Kori Kenkel of Glenwood, who served as co-coordinator of the project along with ISU/Mills County Extension and Ag Education Coordinator Buddi Thompson, said there were no restrictions on who could receive a food box.

“That was fabulous. So often, it’s tied to financial restrictions, but I think with the COVID relief, this was really able to help anyone who needed it,” Kenkel said. “People who came through were all different spectrums who might not always qualify. 

“The nutritional value of this box was better than almost anything I’ve ever seen from the government.”
Farmers to Families is a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) program. In Mills County, the USDA partnered with Mills County Extension and Outreach, the Mills County Storehouse and a team of more than two dozen volunteers that assisted at the two distribution sites.

Thompson said she first heard about Farmers To Families in an e-mail and believed the program would benefit many people in Mills County.

“As I was reading through it, I was thinking of all of what Mills County has gone through in the last couple of years – the flood, even a small tornado and possible drought,” she said. “I reached out to the storehouse and ministerial association to see if there is a need. All of our non-profits said, ‘Yes, we still have families that are struggling,’ especially now with the pandemic and the downturn of the economy a little bit.”

Thompson said the food box distribution was an “overall effort of many people.” She noted that the program also helps farmers who have been impacted negatively by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nationally, more than 50 million Farmers to Families food boxes of locally-sourced fruits, vegetables, dairy and meat products have been distributed.