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Michigan Farm Bureau members encouraging deer donations

Michigan Farm Bureau is among the many state farm groups across the Great Lakes who are raising concerns about deer damage.

Director of the Public Policy and Commodity Division Matt Smego tells Brownfield members want to know how the state is managing the population and how they can support those efforts.

“We’ve explored this with donation programs for the food insecure with venison, just trying to encourage more hunter participation and donation of product for those who are in need,” he explains.

Delegates at the organization’s annual meeting recently approved policy calling for increased focus on species management and access to processing as well as supported financial incentives that increase harvest and the control of wildlife and streamline the ability to donate game meat.

The Farm Bureau Insurance of Michigan Agent Charitable Fund and Michigan Farm Bureau Family of Companies recently partnered with Jay’s Sporting Goods and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for a Sportsmen Against Hunger donation event. Seventy deer were donated to Michigan’s seven regional food banks and provided more than 11,000 servings of protein for Michigan families in need.

Kalamazoo County Farm Bureau, the Michigan Farm Bureau Family of Companies, Marshall Meats, and the Michigan Foundation for Agriculture are also hosting a “Doe Derby” event Saturday in hopes of securing 100 doe donations for the Kalamazoo Loaves and Fishes Ministries.

Michigan Farm Bureau estimates the state has lost about 30 percent of its hunters over the last two decades which is contributing to the overpopulation issues.

Brownfield interviewed Smego as part of Michigan Farm Bureau’s State Annual Meeting.

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