An Easter Donation

Photo: Galloping Grace Youth Ranch

Roadrunner Food Bank had about 1,500 pounds of packaged pork products to distribute to hungry families in New Mexico for the Easter season. The meat was donated by Galloping Grace Youth Ranch (GGYR), a nonprofit organization that educates children about ranching, farming, and sustainable practices through experiences raising livestock and growing crops on a working ranch. The Easter donation is part of the 2,000 pounds of packaged protein that GGYR has pledged to donate to local hunger-relief organizations this year (and on annual basis).

The meat is produced from livestock raised on the ranch and ispart of GGYR’s Junior Leadership and Food Recovery Educational Programs.

Sustainable Practices
The food recovery program, supported by the Albertsons grocery chain, collects fruits and vegetables that have begun to lose their freshness and can no longer be used for human consumption. GGYR also captures spent grains from a local brewery as part of their Food Recovery program.  Youth leaders in GGYR’s Junior Leadership Program feed the collected food to the livestock on the ranch, diverting it from the local landfill. Read about "The Journey of Our Food as Seen by a Banana."

Photo: Galloping Grace Youth Ranch

In 2016, GGYR diverted over 1 million pounds of food waste. When the livestock produced at the ranch are ready to be processed for consumption, GGYR donates it to local hunger-relief organizations like Roadrunner Food Bank.

The efforts of GGYR form part of the solution to address hunger in New Mexico. "Our goal to be able to donate 100% of the food we produce to local food banks for the purpose of feeding food insecure children and their families."

Read more about GGYR founders Max and Michelle Wade.