Food Sourcing Partners

How would you like to partner with us?

I would like to Donate Food

• I am a Food Industry Wholesaler or Retailer
• I am a Farmer or Agricultural Producer

I would like to Donate Time or Resources

• I have Time
• I have Transportation
• I have Resources (meat processing, storage, etc.)

Food Industry Wholesalers and Retailers

Donating food can be a cost-effective solution to inventory challenges, reducing waste, storage limitations, and more.

Last year, Food Industry partners donated over 7 million pounds of food to the Mississippi Food Network. Most of that was donated from the store directly to the local agency (food pantry, soup kitchen, etc.), making a direct contribution to solving the hunger crisis within that store’s local community.

Retailers and wholesalers donate excess products, products that are approaching the sell-by date, and products that need to be removed from shelves for a number of reasons (packaging misprints, rebranding, damaged outer packaging, etc.). Product donations include produce, meat, dairy, frozen items, dry goods, bakery, and even non-food items.

Choosing to donate benefits the store by reducing waste, replacing lost revenue with tax credits, and freeing up employee time.

Please contact us at 601.832.9414  or [email protected] for more information about becoming a food sourcing partner.

Farmers and Agricultural Producers

The US Department of Agriculture estimates that between 30-40% of the food grown, produced, and manufactured in the United States is lost to waste. This occurs at all stages including harvest, handling, production, distribution, and consumption. The issues leading to waste are varied, including

• excess product,
• storage limitations,
• transportation issues,
• unfit (“ugly”) or unmarketable produce,
• beef, poultry, and dairy products that are approaching sell-by dates,

Choosing to donate these products to the Mississippi Food Network may be a solution to a food producer’s problem, while also helping solve the problem of food insecurity within that producer’s community.

We partner with produce and animal growers to help manage excess product, reduce waste, and reduce profit loss through tax-deductible donations.

Please contact us at 601.769.4429  or [email protected] for more information about becoming an agricultural food sourcing partner.

Give Time or Resources

Transportation

Partner volunteers can help us by providing transportation of produce, meat products, dairy products, etc. from the farm or manufacturer to the food bank in Jackson or to a local food pantry or soup kitchen.

Meat Processing

Farmers are often willing to donate an animal to the Mississippi Food Network. We typically have the entire animal processed as ground meat in 1-5 lb. packages for easy distribution to our partner food pantries around the state. The processing fee can be receipted as an in-kind donation and greatly benefits the communities receiving the products.

Gleaning/Volunteering time

Farms are often left with lots of produce in the fields after harvest. The last bits can add up, but it takes work to get it. If you have a group of volunteers who would be willing to glean the remaining produce, or help sort it when it gets where it’s going, please reach out to us so we can coordinate your availability with the gleaning/volunteering times as needed.

CONTACT US!

Every bit helps! Mississippi Food Network couldn’t fulfill its mission without the generous support of the many people and companies who give of their time and resources. If you would like more information about becoming a food sourcing partner, please contact us at 601.832.9414 or [email protected] .