THUNDER BAY – The RFDA is taking a big leap to increase capacity in Thunder Bay and across the region.
Volker Kromm, executive director with Regional Food Distribution Association, said adding a meat room has been in the works for a couple years.
“We’re finally at the stage where we’re able to put in a meat room, which is part of the capital campaign."
Kromm said this $7-million project will allow the RFDA to provide new services, including carving up large volumes of bulk protein and distributing it to the North.
“We’ll be able to address not only bulk foods, but our hope is to address wild game.
“The country foods that we have - there are some rules we have to deal with, and this will allow us to do that,” he said.
That means they will be able to deal with country food, which is wild game as well as traditional domestic meats.
“Some farmers are donating pigs or sides of beef. However, there is also meat that is available from processors in bulk.
“We’ll be cutting it up into packages that we ship to the food banks and our community programs right across the region," Kromm said.
He said “there are a lot of rules to consider” in regards to local hunters donating to the RFDA.
“Feed Ontario has been doing a fabulous job of defining some of those rules," he said
“My hope is that by the fall, we’ll be able to take donations that have met all the requirements.”
The first intent is to give it back to the First Nation communities that traditionally are used to that, he said.
“Also to bring them to the hospitals and medical centres that have patients who’ve flown in from the North, so they can enjoy traditional food.”
Kromm said they are going to start with moose, and then hopefully add deer.
“The price tag keeps growing, we’re looking at around $300,000 when it’s all said and done.
“It’s not a small investment, but it is an important part of our capital campaign.”
The RFDA have been waiting for this for years.
Kromm said it will be interesting to bring in meat and go through the processes to find safe ways of producing healthy foods.
“This is huge. One of the big asks from our members is for protein.
“If we can provide a healthy protein that is sourced in a safe way from country foods or our processors - it will go a long way,” he said.
