On Thursday, March 20, 2014, the
Alabama Cooperative Extension System’s Urban Regional Extension Specialist
Robert Spencer of the Urban Affairs and New Nontraditional Programs Unit, along
with Charlie
Meek and D. C. Thornton from the Northwest Alabama RC&D Council, and J. C.
Holt from A+ Marketing, delivered 48
pounds of frozen and vacuum-sealed Alabama farm-raised goat and lamb meat to
the Food Bank of North Alabama in Athens. The donation was made possible in
part by the 2014 Northwest
Alabama Lamb and Goat Marketing Study and Outreach grant project designed to promote
the sampling of locally raised goat and lamb meat at specific venues to
determine consumer preference and buying habits.
Essentially,
meat is purchased from members of the Alabama Agricultural A+ Marketing
Association (A+ Marketing), processed at Cox Butcher Shop, a United States
Department of Agriculture inspection facility, and prepared and served by the
Shoals Culinary Center at various venues in Northwest Alabama. However, a
stipulation of the grant specifies that a portion of the lamb and goat meat,
which included shoulder and shank roasts, must be donated to a deserving
charity.
Funding
for this project totaling approximately $6,100 was provided by the Northwest Alabama RC&D Council, the Alabama Farmers
Federation’s Meat Goat and Sheep Commodity, the American Lamb Board, and an RC&D
board member. The Food
Bank of North Alabama provides assistance to more than 100,000 people in North
Alabama through a network of approximately 200 agencies.
Lawrence Hollins of the Food Bank of North Alabama was on hand
to assist in unloading the donated meat. Upon receiving the gift, Kathryn Strickland, executive director of the Food Bank of North
Alabama stated, “Thank you so much for making it possible. We are thrilled to be able
to offer residents in need such a healthy food choice - locally raised protein!”
Contact Extension Specialist Robert Spencer at (256) 689-0274 to learn more about this project.
Photo: From left to right, Robert Spencer, Charlie Meek, D. C.
Thornton, Lawrence Hollins, and J. C. Holt are pictured with North Alabama Food
Bank truck.