COMSTOCK PARK, MICH — “We can't hang on the meat that long before it would, it would spoil,” Gina Zigler with Barb's Processing in Comstock Park made it clear that they need some help.
In November FOX 17 told you about the Michigan Sportsman Against Hungerprogram, where participating deer processors donate venison from hunters to local charities. At the end of the hunting season, these processors are reimbursed by a pool of donated money allocated by the Department of Natural Resources for their work.
But before either of those things can happen – the processor must wait for negative chronic wasting disease, bovine tuberculosis, and lead test results.
Tests that are not required for your typical hunter’s venison.
It's a new stipulation to the over-30-year-old donation program, and a new hurdle Zigler said is holding up the donations.
“We used to just fill out this kind of voucher and mail it to the state," said Zigler. "For now, we've got to hang on to these deer for almost a month or month and a half. And we have no freezer space to do that.”
Their solution, at the moment, is to donate the meat outside of the program.
"We've got a lot of donated deer here, And we just don't have no way to keep it that long before it can leave here, it's got to leave here," added Zigler. "The day we get it cut. We don't freeze meat here. So we've never have, and we just call the churches up and they come and get it.”
The good news is – the venison doesn’t spoil and still goes to help people with empty plates.
The bad news is – Barb's is not being reimbursed for their work like they have in the past.
And they are not the only ones with this problem.
I called three other West Michigan processors who also participate in the program— they agree; there are some concerns about the changes.
Then I reached out to Ed Golder, public information officer for the Michigan DNR to share these concerns. You can read his response below.
Ed Golder, Public Information Officer, Michigan DNR responds to FOX 17 by WXMI on Scribd
Gina told me that they did have a freezer donated by the Sportsman Against Hunger Program, but it’s just not big enough.
"I mean we did 1,400 deer last year, and we donated the 4,000 pounds of meat last year... we need help. Help with freezer space and everything would go fine.”
These processors are going to keep doing what they do best— making sure donated meat gets to the tables of hungry people across West Michigan, but how long they'll be able to sustain this charity without more infrastructure and support is unknown.
