1. Idaho Foodbank program detail
2. Idaho Beef Council program detail

BOISE — The Idaho Foodbank in the past year received 63,050 pounds of beef from Beef Counts, enough for over 336,000 servings, helping to feed those in need across the state.

The program has continued to grow since the food bank and the state’s beef industry founded it in 2010, chief development officer Morgan Wilson said.

“We have been so fortunate to have the generous support of the ranching industry and the beef community overall,” she said July 29 as Idaho Beef Month neared its conclusion.

The beef industry continued to get product into the food bank system even as it worked though supply-chain disruptions prompted by COVID-19 shutdowns, said Bill Lickley, a Jerome-area rancher who chairs the Idaho Beef Council board.

The processing chain is “slowly, steadily getting closer to normal,” he said.

Drought now poses a challenge to cattle producers.

“The beef industry is very adept at dealing with nature,” Lickley said. “Whatever it takes to keep those animals well-fed and producing we will do, to keep putting healthy protein into the marketplace and delivering to Idaho Foodbank.”

Wilson said a goal for the coming year is to maintain the beef supply even as much of the economy continues to rebound from the heaviest impacts of the pandemic.

“We’re very grateful that demand from the peak of the pandemic is coming down and we’re seeing recovery,” she said. “It really looks different depending on each community.”

For example, she said, the risk of experiencing hunger is higher in rural areas.

Moreover, “protein is always sought after, and often more expensive to access and not as readily donated as we would want,” Wilson said.

Cash and beef contributions supply Beef Counts.

Lickley said live events traditionally generated a substantial amount of cash contributions. As that opportunity diminished during much of the pandemic, the Beef Council shifted to online efforts and other ways to reach donors.

Council communications manager Donna Kovaleski said Beef Counts since its inception has provided more than 1.6 million 3-ounce servings.

“We value our partnership with Idaho’s beef industry,” Idaho Foodbank President and CEO Karen Vauk said in a release. “We appreciate their ongoing support of the Idaho Foodbank and the valuable role they play in helping Idahoans struggling to make ends meet.”

One in nine residents of the state, and one in eight children, may experience hunger this year, according to the food bank and Feeding America.

Boise-based Agri Beef is a major financial supporter. Executive Vice President Jay Theiler said the food bank, including staff and volunteers, “has been an invaluable partner to Agri Beef and Idaho’s cattle producers” and “essential in getting food on the tables of families who could use a little extra help.”