OWENTON, Ky. — Rural Owen County is a pretty quiet part of Kentucky. That is until mid-November when hunters take to the woods.
At Risch’s Deer Processing, just outside of Owenton, the family business for more than 20-years knows that opening day of deer gun season in Kentucky also means the opportunity to help those in need of food through the “Hunters for the Hungry” program.
What You Need To Know
- "Hunters for the Hungry" is a program feeding the hungry across Kentucky
- Risch’s Deer Processing lets deer hunters use their skills to provide protein to those in need
- Risch's helps distribute deer meat locally and through surrounding counties
"We're blessed to be a part of that program. We process the deer that are donated," said Risch's Tamara Morris. "A lot of times, people are just thinning out their herd on their farm or whatever, and they'll bring their donated deer here and we'll process it, we grind it down to burger, and then we wait for the Hunters for the Hungry to come in and pick the meat up."
Morris said they then distribute it locally and throughout surrounding counties.
“Hunters for the Hungry” is a statewide hunger relief program dedicated to providing a healthy source of protein to needy Kentuckians, allowing an outlet for hunters to help their communities and promote environmental stewardship through wildlife management.
"It's very important," said Ron Vandt with Sparta Baptist Church. "I picked up as much as 1,500 pounds in a year, and that feeds a lot of people. It's just a wonderful program that helps everybody out. It just don't help one or two people, it helps whole communities."
Hunters for the Hungry is a win – for Kentucky hunters and all Kentuckians. It allows some the opportunity to hunt as well as provide for those in need.
"I don't want to see nobody go hungry. I want to help the hunger and never let a deer go to waste," said deer hunter Cody Lindsey.
If the freezers at Risch’s are any indication of the generosity of area hunters, those in need of food in Owen and surrounding counties are sure to have their fill.
"There's a lot of people that's elderly, disabled, some of them is unemployed," Vandt said. "And they're just running short on money at the end of the month and their food is depleted and they don't have anything so the church helps them out by giving them food and whatever else they need to get by."
Providing deer meat to help get them by thanks to Kentucky hunters and select processor like Risch’s across the state.
"It's a wonderful program and it means a lot to us to be a part of that," Morris said.