 |
Not logged in. Log in
|
|
|
HUNGER TASK FORCE SIGNS 10-YEAR LEASE TO OPERATE HISTORIC 150-ACRE FARM IN FRANKLIN  Milwaukee (June 15, 2007)—Hunger Task Force has taken over sole operation of an historic, 150-acre farm in Franklin, Wis. after agreeing with Milwaukee County on a 10-year lease, Hunger Task Force officials have announced. Hunger Task Force expects the farm, located at 8886 S. 68th St., across the street from the Milwaukee County House of Correction, to yield 335,000 pounds of produce in 2007 for free distribution to 80 food pantries, soup kitchens and homeless shelters serving Milwaukee County’s poor.
 “This is a program that everyone in Milwaukee County can get excited about—a program that provides food for the poor and keeps in operation one of the county’s last sustainable urban farms,” said Sherrie Tussler, Hunger Task Force executive director. “A beautiful farm has been preserved for feeding the poor. What’s more Wisconsin than a well-run, productive farm?”“From Day One of this partnership, Hunger Task Force has proven to be a well-managed, efficient and creative ally in operation of the farm,” said John F. Weishan, Jr., Milwaukee County supervisor. “By transferring full operation to Hunger Task Force, Milwaukee County preserves an historic and highly functioning farm, produces high-quality food for the hungry and eliminates the burden of running farm operations from the taxpayers. It truly is a win-win situation.” “From its inception Milwaukee County has been charged with the mission of serving all of its citizens, especially the poor,” said Milwaukee County Supervisor Gerry Broderick. “Bravo to Hunger Task Force and my associates at the Board of Supervisors for finding a way to continue operation of this historic and successful farm.” Fighting Obesity, Diabetes through Fresh Produce
 The farm is a key component of Hunger Task Force’s initiative to provide fresh produce to Milwaukee County’s poor. People who lack a steady supply of food, especially the very young and very old, often suffer from malnutrition and may develop accompanying health problems, such as diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure.In 2006, Hunger Task Force distributed 8.3 million pounds of food to the poor. “By augmenting the supplies of non-perishable food that Milwaukeeans so generously donate with fresh, green vegetables, Hunger Task Force can provide Milwaukee’s poor with a well-balanced, healthy supply of food,” Tussler said. “Most people take for granted the high level of dignity that comes with being able to put a full meal on the table for your family. Our affiliated pantries continue to pass along their gratitude and their clients’ gratitude for making this nutritious food available to them at no charge.” Hunger Task Force will grow 27 different types of crops on the farm—including culturally significant foods such as bok choy, napa and greens—based on the needs of its network of food pantries, soup kitchens and homeless shelters. According to Sister Donna Gazzana, coordinator of St. John Cathedral’s Open Door Café Meal Program, Hunger Task Force’s fresh produce provides meal options to the Café’s chef and, perhaps more importantly, to its guests, many of whom are homeless. “A lot of the time our guests are locked into the psychology of ‘You get what we give you’ from agencies who serve the homeless, but Hunger Task Force allows us to present them with the ability to choose for themselves which foods they prefer,” said Gazzana, whose program feeds an average of 175 people per day. “When you offer someone a choice of healthy, fresh foods to eat, you not only feed their body but their spirit as well.” Preserving Valuable Wisconsin Farmland
 Preservation of the Hunger Task Force farm comes at a time when Wisconsin farmland is disappearing at a rapid pace. According to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, the state has been losing 30,000 acres of farmland—the equivalent of two complete townships—every year.Originally founded in the 1950s when the Milwaukee County House of Correction first moved to Franklin, the farm long served to generate food for the facility’s commissary. Today as in years past, the farm is worked by non-violent inmates who are nearing release from prison. Inmates—all of whom volunteer to work on the farm, and must meet strict House of Correction standards—plant seeds, maintain and harvest crops, pack bins and load trucks. Inmates also volunteer to work packing boxes for Hunger Task Force’s Stockbox Program, which provides monthly food supplies to 5,000 low-income senior citizens in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties. By volunteering to work on the Stockbox Program inmates learn job skills including warehouse and inventory management, materials handling, and packing and assembly. Land adjacent to the farm will continue to be used for public services, including raising 40,000 fish each year for stocking Milwaukee County ponds and lagoons, growing saplings for transplanting throughout the entire park system, processing felled trees into firewood and to recycling materials from the nearby correctional facility. Future Plans: Increasing Mechanization, Adding “Green Belt”
Hunger Task Force is establishing the infrastructure for the long-term, sustainable operation of the farm. Since joining Milwaukee County in farm operations in 2004, Hunger Task Force has invested $85,000 in farm equipment, including a tractor, seeder, seedling transplanter, green bean harvester, root crop digger and vegetable wash line. An aggressive fundraising campaign will secure money to purchase additional mechanization, including a corn harvester and vegetable conveyor belt. As part of future improvements to the farm grounds, Hunger Task Force plans to plant poplar trees along the northern perimeter as a visual barrier for the surrounding residential areas and as a saleable commodity. To the south and east, the Root River wetlands and old-growth hardwood trees will remain a conservancy area, and select parcels of land will remain undeveloped. These measures will create a “green belt” that will help preserve neighboring land values and livability in this area of rapid suburban development. Hunger Task Force is an anti-hunger organization which believes that every person has a right to adequate food obtained with dignity. Hunger Task Force works to prevent hunger and malnutrition by providing food to people in need today and by promoting social policies to achieve food security tomorrow. |
|
||||||||||||||
 (414) 777-0483Hunger Task Force, Inc. | 201 S. Hawley Court Milwaukee, WI 53214 | Fax: (414) 777-0480 |
Hunger Task Force is a private, non-profit community organization that exists to prevent and alleviate hunger. |