FarmersWagon.org, the local online farmers’ market and food non-profit, announced a new partnership with local poultry startup, Melitota Turkeys. Along with their customers, Melitota Turkeys and FarmersWagon.org will provide small to medium-size turkeys to food-insecure households this Thanksgiving. In addition to the partnership, Melitota Turkeys also join other local food producers in offering its product on FarmersWagon.org.
“We had a lot of customers ask about donating a turkey this year, but we weren’t sure how to get the donated turkeys to the families that need them,” said Caroline Debnam, Director of Business Operations at Melitota Turkeys. “I reached out to Kristen Nickerson at Langenfelder Pork© and she pointed me in the direction of FarmersWagon.org.” The partnership will offer a Buy One, Give One promotion on Melitota Turkeys’ website (melitotaturkeys.com), and FarmersWagon.org’s online farmers’ market (farmerswagon.org) allowing customers to provide a turkey in addition to purchasing their own. For anyone who has already purchased their Thanksgiving centerpiece, or interested in donating a turkey to a local family in need, Melitota Turkeys and FarmersWagon.org are offering a Give a Turkey option.
“I’ve been following Melitota Turkeys’ story since their first post in the Chestertown Life Facebook Group this Summer,” tells Lyle Pinder, Executive Director of FarmersWagon.org. “It’s an honor to be a part of the latest chapter of a story that goes back five generations. After working with Caroline and seeing the Debnam family’s willingness to make a difference in the lives of our neighbors facing hunger and hardship this Thanksgiving, it’s a reminder of what a community really can be and why FarmersWagon.org was started earlier this year.” In addition to offering individuals, families, and other organizations the opportunity to provide a turkey to a household facing hardship this Thanksgiving, Melitota Turkeys will also donate a portion of its proceeds to FarmersWagon.org’s Care Package Fund which provides equitable recurring benefits to food-insecure households in Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot County.
To participate in the Buy One, Give One promotion, or the Give a Turkey option, visit the Melitota Turkeys website or FarmersWagon.org by Sunday, November 8. Turkeys purchased for your household can be picked up from the farm or delivered. All donated turkeys will be delivered by FarmersWagon.org. To refer a household who is in need or to apply for a donated turkey, please contact [email protected] or call (443)333-9336.
About FarmersWagon.org
FarmersWagon.org is a non-profit organization that addresses food insecurity in Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot County. With its work, FarmersWagon.org aspires to ensure every household has sustainable access and sufficient resources to meet the food needs of its members with fresh and nutritious options. The organization’s mission is funded by retail sales of locally-sourced protein, produce, and artisan foods through its online farmers’ market. FarmersWagon.org commits 70% of its NET Revenue to provide equitable recurring benefits, also known as the “Care Package Program,” to food-insecure households.
About Melitota Turkeys
Melitota Turkeys of Pond View Farm launched in June of 2020 by filling its iconic white dairy barn with hens after finding a void along the east coast in fresh market turkeys. Pond View Farm is a fifth-generation family-owned and operated farm located near Chestertown, Maryland. The Debnam’s farm corn, wheat, and soybeans throughout Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Cecil Counties.
What Is Food Insecurity?
The state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. According to recent research, based on USDA guidelines, there are currently more than 30,000 households in FarmersWagon.org’s service area that live with hunger or food insecurity on a daily basis.
Alan Smith says
Excellent article giving information of how local persons are helping all in need!