Jason Traggiai, Coordinator for Great Lakes FHFH, shares how he became a Coordinator with FHFH in Ohio.

​My wife Becca and I have been taking our teenage daughters to Geauga Park District events since they were little.  It was a great way to introduce them to the outdoors and gain an appreciation for our gift from God.  I began to get more involved with the GPD when they first started the deer management program in 2008 or 2009.  I was drawn to hunt the archery season at Observatory Park and had signed up to have my oldest daughter as my buddy hunter.  She wasn’t sure she wanted to kill anything, but wanted to go along and experience the hunt.

From the very beginning the GPD staff were very organized and worked closely with Great Lakes Outdoor Supply to administer the qualification and proficiency testing.  It has changed over the years, becoming more streamlined. We are fortunate to have some very talented people working on our behalf at the Park District.

At one of the meetings the ODNR spoke of a new program they wanted to initiate, called Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry.  The ODNR had grant money available to assist with processing costs for hunter donated deer by local butchers.  They had everything in place and were looking for someone to put the plan into motion. My daughter nudged me and said, “Dad, you should do that.”  I thought, no way, I have no time for that.  With her continued encouragement  I relented and approached John Oros and said that I would like to know more about FHFH.  After learning more about the program, I felt  this was something that I would like to become involved. The GPD and the local ODNR were very helpful in getting more exposure for the program. The first year we were able to have five deer donated.  That was the first 1,000 meals we were able to  provide to the needy of Geauga County.

The program has continued to grow not only in donations, but also in Counties we serve.  It has become a family affair for us, driving around collecting coins from donation cans at local merchants or attending outdoor shows and providing information about how the program works.  My personal favorite is when we go to the St. Vincent DePaul soup kitchen in Warren, OH and serve venison spaghetti, chili, or meatloaf.  Everyone always seems so thankful and it reminds me how important the mission of FHFH really is.

The Great Lakes FHFH Chapter (OH-35) now covers Ashtabula, Trumbull, Geauga, Cuyahoga, and Lorain counties.  We just finished up the season with a new record for a single year of donations.  We took in 250 deer or 50,000 servings that were paid for with donations from local businesses and individuals.

Many people think that the deer management program is nothing more than an avenue for a few hunters to kill some meat for their freezer, but it is so much more than that.  It is touching the lives of thousands, but none of them more than it has touched mine.
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If you are interested in donating to FHFH visit our website at www.fhfh.org or send your donation to P.O. Box 323, Williamsport, MD 21795 and be sure to designate your donation to the OH-35 Chapter.  I hope that every hunter out there bags a buck but hope you will consider donating one too. 

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ...."  Matthew 25:35 

Dictionary.com defines a hero as "a person who, in the opinion of others, has special achievements, abilities, or personal qualities and is regarded as a role model or ideal." 

Hunters and farmers who donate deer and livestock to feed the hungry are people who care about the hungry people in our country and they take action to do something about it! They serve as positive role models by helping those in need and giving back to their communities. When they feed the hungry, they contribute to creating a community with a better quality of life. They are making a difference and giving hope to the people who are unable to get enough to eat!  ​

There are too many families struggling to figure out where their next meal will come from. The impact of childhood hunger can be lifelong. Studies have shown that even mildly undernourished children may potentially suffer abnormal brain, cognitive, and psychological impairment that, if not corrected, can be irreversible. The elderly require greater consideration towards their health and medical needs that can become compromised when there is not enough food to eat. 
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FHFH and the hungry men, women and children in our country thank each caring hunter and farmer who took action by donating deer or livestock to FHFH!  Your personal qualities of caring, taking action, and being a positive role model makes you a hero!

To donate deer or livestock to a participating FHFH meat processor CLICK HERE.

Canned Venison with Smoked Gouda and Toasted Walnuts by Bobbie Jo Wasilko
He Hunts She Cooks

Creamy delicious risotto is made even better with canned venison. I encourage you to make it your own, by changing the type of canned meat, cheese, vegetables, toppings, even the wine. Experiment!

Serves 4
Prep Time:  20 min 
Cook Time:  20 min 
Total Time:  40 min

Ingredients

1 quart jar Canned Venison, drained (substitute elk, cairbou, boar, antelope)
6-7 cups Beef Stock, heated to boiling, kept hot
1-1/2 cups Carnaroli Risotto Rice (or Arborio)
1/2 cup minced onion (or 2 minced shallots)
1 cup red wine Pinot Noir Red Wine (open a bottle for risotto and drink the rest with dinner!)
1/4 cup Grape Seed Oil
3/4 cup Smoked Gouda, cut into pieces
1/3 cup Walnuts (toasted)
2 Tbs. Butter
Fresh Ground Pepper and Sea Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Heat stock to boiling, then turn down to low simmer.
2. Add grape seed oil to a large, heavy bottom wide top pot.
3. Chop onion or shallot and add to the pot.
4. Saute the the onion on medium heat for 2 minutes.
5. Add the risotto rice and sauté until the rice turns opaque, about 2 minutes.
6. Pour in the red wine, and stir until it's almost evaporated.
7. *This is when I set my timer for 15 minutes, and start adding stock, a 1/2 cup at a time and STIR, STIR, STIR.
8. Keep stirring after each addition of stock until it's almost evaporated and then add another 1/2 cup.
9. You want to adjust the heat to create a low boil so the starches release from the rice.
10. It's the release of starch that makes it creamy.
11. When the 15 minute timer goes off, check the rice, you want it "al dente" (depending on elevation, the risotto may need additional time and/or broth.
12. Once the rice is creamy, add the canned venison, gouda and 2 tablespoons butter and set the timer for 3 minutes, to warm the venison and cheese through the risotto.
13. Once the timer goes off after 3 minutes, turn off the pot.
14. Check for seasoning, spoon into a bowl and top with walnuts.
15. Serve.

Tips for the perfect risotto

1. Make sure the broth is boiling hot!! If the stock is cold, the starch will not release from the rice properly.
2. Constant stirring is crucial so be ready to stand at the stove for this one.
3. Elevation does make a difference in cooking time, so I'd suggest making the risotto on a day when you have time to experiment and take notes. Once you get past the learning curve, you'll be an expert at risotto in no time.
4. There are different risotto rices available, and I prefer carnaroli rice, but you may substitute arborio since it's more widely available.
5. Risotto should have the consistency of a soup/stew. Meaning, you should be able to eat it with a spoon.

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ...."
Matthew 25:35 

There's no way to measure the taste of a good meal after days of having an empty stomach.  And you can't measure a smile, but our volunteer Chapter Coordinators can tell you personally the impact providing food has had for the people in their communities who are struggling to get enough to eat.

Venison Stroganoff recipe from Bobbie Jo Wasilko
He Hunts She Cooks

Venison Stroganaff has never been so simple when cooked in the crockpot. Thanks to Jessica Lomison of Karthaus, PA.

Ingredients

1. One pint of canned venison
2. Two 10.5 ounce cans of cream of mushroom soup
3. 1/2 cup of sour cream

Oven Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix all together and place in a 13x9 inch rectangular baking dish.
3. Bake for 40 minutes

Crockpot Method

1. Add all the ingredients to a crockpot.
2. Bake all day on warm and then an hour before serving turn up to low.
3. Serve over boiled noodles, biscuits or toast.

By Jessica Lomison
Adapted from Wild Wednesday Recipe

​​Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry is making a difference in Guernsey, Noble and Harrison counties.

The national ministry with a mission to help provide meat for needy residents received enough venison donations during the 2016-17 hunting season to supply meat for 10,000 meals.

"We want to thank all of the hunters and farmers who have donated deer," said FHFH Director Kathi Albertson. "More than 50 deer were donated during the past hunting season and that translates to 2,500 pounds of venison."

Albertson said one family from the Norwich area has donated many deer over the years.

Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry made its final venison donation of the season Friday to Grace Food Pantry in Cambridge. FHFH also donated venison to Lutheran Social Services and other local pantries.

This year's donation also included a pig from the Guernsey County Fair.

"In the past, we have received donations of cows and pigs raised on farms," said Albertson. "But, we cannot accept feral swine. All of the processing was paid for by FHFH with no charge to the individual donating the meat."

The venison was processed at Shirer Brother Meets in Adamsville, Ramage Quality Meets in Caldwell or Boss Bison Ranch in Cadiz. Funding for the meat processing was provided by private donations and various grants.

Grants were obtained from the Cambridge Kiwanis Foundation, Gulfport Energy Corporation and the Walmart Community Grant program. Matching funds were provided by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources' Division of Wildlife.

"We also need to thank the people who give us money to process the deer," Albertson said. "These individuals and the grant providers spent several thousands of dollars to cover the cost of having the meet processed in order to feed people."

Call Albertson, 740-432-5329 or visit the organization's website at www.fhfh.org for additional information.

FHFH is a 501(c)(3) organization. All contributions are tax-deductible as allowed by law.Guernsey County FHFH

 ​The story of how FHFH began is nothing short of amazing!  


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Beginning FHFH With God
by Rick Wilson, FHFH’s Founder and First “Chapter Coordinator” 

It was an early morning in September 20 years ago when I encountered a lady who asked me to help her load a road kill deer into the trunk of her vehicle so she could feed her hungry children. After that encounter I prayed and felt led to start a ministry to feed the hungry.  God then provided two local butchers who would process donated deer at their cost, and I realized I needed HELP!  I asked, Ray Shriver, my pastor of 20 years, if I could begin organizing God's venison feeding ministry through our church.  He suggested several options, and then invited me to come share the idea with our church leadership.

After getting approval to work through our church along with some seed money from the congregation, the word of our feeding ministry spread rapidly.  As we began receiving deer during Maryland’s archery season we soon began falling behind.  By the end of October, we had depleted the initial funding allocation along with $500 from Pastor Shriver's discretionary fund and we were $716 in the red!  I stayed after church one 
Sunday to share this financial need with Pastor Ray.  I was hoping that he would say as he had before, “Here’s some money from my discretionary fund,” but instead, he said, “Let’s pray.”  That was not what I wanted to hear! After sharing our need with the Lord, I set about trying to figure out how to raise $716.          

A couple of days later Pastor Ray called and asked if I could stop by his office after I finished teaching school that day.  When I arrived he handed me an envelope and invited me to open it.  As I unfolded a check for $700 from a total stranger, I was ecstatic!  I’ll never forget Ray’s joking comment, “God’s math is not perfect, but it’s close enough for me to know that He is with us.”

Two days later he called me again.  In a somewhat unsure voice he said, “Can you stop by my office after school?”  Upon arriving, he handed me another envelope containing a check for the remaining $16.  Still a little shaky, Pastor Ray said that his earlier days in sales and personnel management taught him a great deal about numbers and probability.  He then asked God to forgive him for questioning His math.  At that point my Best Friend God, Pastor Shriver, my close friend Al Schlotterbeck and I began praying to expand the new ministry.

Al has been like a ‘second dad’ to me since the mid 1950’s when I began crossing through a couple of neighbors’ yards to shoot archery with him.  Having a ‘second dad’ became very important at this time. My father who had been my best hunting and fishing buddy since I was about 6 years old had suffered a series of strokes that summer leaving him in a coma. I kept Dad up to date on our growth by visiting him regularly at the nursing home to describe the progress and pray with him.

After two hunting seasons the ministry outgrew the church, so we established FHFH as a separate non-profit organization.  Twenty years later, FHFH has grown from its humble beginnings in Washington County, Maryland with one coordinator and a small dedicated group of individuals to a national organization.  We now have 125 Chapter Coordinators in 29 states and the District of Columbia who are united with one mission - feeding the hungry among us.

Alasyn Zimmerman​ ​at KIFI Local News 8​ wrote about FHFH in Idaho and the importance of venison donations to feeding programs and food banks in a news story titled "Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry ​M​akes ​Donation to Local ​F​ood ​B​anks​.​”  CLICK HERE to read the article.
 
Our FHFH Chapter Coordinator for South East Idaho FHFH, Nate Matlack, is making a difference to those in his community struggling with hunger.  You can find Nate and the rest of our local Chapter Coordinators by CLICKING HERE.  We encourage you to reach out and support them!

We recently received this note of thanks from Miriam's Kitchen in Washington, DC.

To Whom It May Concern: 

Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry reached out to us in 2016 and has been a significant partner for our protein supply in 2016. As the Executive Chef, I am grateful for the partnership and steady supply of high-quality proteins to our guests. 

Miriam’s Kitchen is committed to ending chronic homelessness in DC by creating meaningful connections with chronically homeless individuals, placing them in permanent supportive housing, and ensuring they have the necessary support to remain in housing. We advocate for permanent supportive housing as a long-term solution, while meeting short-term needs by providing healthy meals and high quality social services to more than 2,500 chronically homeless individuals each week. 

We use about two hundred pounds of meat a week at our operation, all of which comes from donations. If we could continue to have a consistent supply of venison to help offset this large need, it would benefit our guests and the organization greatly. The chef team at Miriam’s Kitchen would be happy to continue to use any and all venison donations we could get from FHFH. The work they are doing not only benefits those who are most in need of the dignity of a restaurant-quality meal, but also betters the environment and DC community at large. 

With gratitude, 
Cheryl R. Bell 
Executive Chef 
Miriam’s Kitchen