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State Representative Leon Lillie
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-1188
For more information contact: Matt Swenson 651-297-8406
NEWS COLUMN
DONATE A DEER
With opening day for the regular deer season just weeks away, there are a lot of nervous bucks in Minnesota forests, farm fields, and prairies this week. Like many of you, my son and I are looking forward to this season. But while hundreds of thousands of hunters gear up for this year's deer hunt, tens of thousands of Minnesotans are in need of assistance from local community food shelf services across the state.
That's why we passed a bill in the Minnesota Legislature that provides Minnesota hunters the opportunity to donate deer carcasses to their local food shelves free of charge. This new program will provide deer hunters the hassle-free means to make a tangible difference at the tables of hungry Minnesotans this hunting season. Before, hunters had to pay processing fees in order to donate their venison.
The state's new venison donation initiative is expected to produce upwards of 6,000 donated deer from Minnesota hunters annually – providing approximately 200,000 pounds of high quality, high protein meat to be distributed to the state's hungry population.
This new program is a coordinated effort of the DNR and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. These agencies call the program one that "provides an excellent source of protein to people in need while helping reduce local deer populations."
I strongly encourage all Minnesota hunters to participate in this program. To do so, you can do one of two things: donate a deer carcass to your local food shelf, or donate a dollar to the program when buying a deer license this season. In doing so, you'll gain more than just a great hunt, but the opportunity to do your part in the fight against hunger in our communities.
Information about how to donate a deer carcass or money can be found on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website at: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/hunting/deer/donation/index.html.
Hunters must have their deer processed at a Minnesota Department of Agriculture-registered meat processing plant that has agreed to participate in the program. A list of those processors can be found on the Minnesota Department of Agriculture website at: www.mda.state.mn.us/licensing/meategg/processors.htm. Big Steer Meats (1766 East Minnehaha Ave, St. Paul; 651-738-3636) is the closest participating processor for people in our community.
If you have any additional questions about the program, please contact me by phone at (651) 296-1188 or by email at rep.leon.lillie@house.mn. Happy hunting!
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