By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
Deer hunting season is in full swing across Missouri, and the Missouri Department of Conservation is working to 'Share the Harvest'.
Tyler Schwartz with the Conservation Federation of Missouri says that the Share the Harvest program began when a group of hunters came together.
"Said hey we wanna do something to help out the less fortunate, and that developed a state wide system, you know it's partnered with the Missouri Department of Conservation and Feeding Missouri," Schwartz says. "And so, we've got, it's kind of a three way, certainly prong approach if you will, organizations that are the real driving force behind Share the Harvest."
Prior to the Conservation Federation of Missouri spearheading the program, it was up to the hunter to find and pay for the processor, but the federation has worked with multiple sponsors over the years.
Schwartz says the sponsors helping work with the processors, helps allow everyone to be a part of something bigger.
"Not everybody has the opportunity to process their own deer and they want to help out, and get a part of the cause," Schwartz says. "And so it's just one of those things Conservation Federation of Missouri is really proud of going on 30 years now that we're able to help connect all those dots and help out people too."
The conservation federation took over the Share the Harvest program in 1992, marking 30 years next year.
Over the years, hunters through the program have donated 4.4 million pounds of meat. And now, the program is also in the second year of it's snack stick trial.
Schwartz says with the success of Share the Harvest, the program expanded, finding a way to help feed children with snack sticks.
"It's protein little snack sticks, little jerky sticks, that go into the children's backpacks on weekends," Schwartz says excitedly. "It's truly another just great extension of Share the Harvest."
The Share the Harvest snack stick bill passed through the Missouri legislature with overwhelming support and was signed by Governor Parsons last year, allowing the federation to distribute these shelf ready snack sticks.
For more information on the Share the Harvest program you can click HERE.