'Donate a Hog' Program Helps Ontario Food Banks Buy Pork

Ontario Food Banks and Ontario Pork Program Helps Combat Hunger

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

The deadline for this year’s Donate a Hog Program is September 30th. The annual program in partnership with the Ontario Association of Food Banks and Ontario Pork, allows swine producers to donate the proceeds from the sale of one of their hogs to go towards assisting food banks across the province purchase pork products for distribution to those in need.

The program was founded in 1998 by Paul Mistele, a pig farmer from Elgin County. The program was so successful that it became an annual project running between the months of March to September every year. Since the program’s inception, it has raised over $90,000 to offer a much needed protein for Ontarians living in hunger.

Hog farmers can choose their contribution amount and can submit the completed form with a cheque made payable to Ontario Pork. Charitable donation receipts are issued for all participating producers. For more information about the program or to fill out an application form can be found at http://www.ontariopork.on.ca/Portals/0/Docs/News/Whatnew/Donate_a_Hog_Program_producer_form.pdf