MILWAUKEE — Hunger Task Force is under new leadership for the first time in nearly 30 years. The organization’s longtime CEO, Sherri Tussler, retired at the beginning of June.
New CEO, Matt King, spent years managing the Hunger Task Force Farm in Franklin, a 208-acre plot for growing produce.
He said he plans to carry on the organization’s legacy by building new partnerships to reach more people in need. He acknowledged The Farm is a big part of that mission.
“The Farm is a solution to an issue that food banks across the country have, which is reliable access to fresh produce,” said King.
The Hunger Task Force Farm grows crops and has several gardens. It also houses two year-round green houses.
It’s run by a small team of seven full-time employees, but they get big results. Half a million pounds of fruits and vegetables are grown on the property every year.
Instead of buying produce from a third party to fill food pantries throughout southeast Wisconsin, the organization can use what’s grown on the farm. It relies on community donations and volunteers to help.
“We have over 5,000 community volunteers every year that come out to the farm,” King said.
Sarah Bressler manages the farm. She said one of the benefits of growing their own produce is that they can harvest exactly what local communities are asking for.
“At the end of every season we get feedback from our food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters and senior sites on different crops that they are looking for,” she said. “We try to give the community what they need and what they want and what they are comfortable with.”
King said he believes in meeting people where they’re at in life, and providing foods that are culturally appropriate for every cross-section of the community.
“Everyone goes through tough times. In one way or another, we all go through tough times, and so when we go through tough times, we should be able to reach out for a little help,” said King.