Farmers are dropping off donations at the back door of Saskatchewan’s food banks rather than walking in the front to collect a hamper.
Despite agriculture’s tough economics, most of the province’s 10 food banks report no farmers among their clients.
One issue is confidentiality. The food banks do not take peoples’ names, although workers at the banks might know some of the people receiving the donated food.
But in a couple of communities, some farmers are resorting to help.
Daryl Duncan, former president of the Melfort Food Bank, says farmers have used it off and on over the bank’s eight years. The majority of farm clients now are young producers starting out. Usually the bank serves 30 people a month but in 1998 that tripled to 1,000 for the year.
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“The scary part is the number of children (using the service) is going up.”
Outlook also reported some farmer clients, especially in winter, while Unity noted farm hands who get regular layoffs are coming in.
In the Arcola/Carlyle area acreage dwellers who work in the oil patch are in need of assistance.
But most of the province’s food banks say farmers are giving more than they are taking.
Lori Perry of the Outlook bank said: “It’s quite overwhelming. We tend not to have to do a drive with the Scouts because of local farmers’ generosity. They give lots of produce in the fall. Lots of meat, too.”
