Magic Valley Cattle Association members Kathy Grant, left, and Megan Satterwhite lay out beef to be donated at the Food Bank from the Magic Valley Cattle Association, Caring Cowboys and Beef Counts Tuesday, October 9, 2012 in Kimberly. (Photo courtesy of the Times-News)

From the Times-News:

BY STEVE KADEL – skadel@magicvalley.com

KIMBERLY • About 175 local families are eating nutritious food produced in Idaho, thanks to the Magic Valley beef industry and other agriculture representatives.

That’s the number of food boxes officials handed out Tuesday during the monthly food pantry distribution at Crossroads United Methodist Church. There was enough food on hand to fill 220 boxes in case more people showed up than were expected, said Julie Pipal, food resources manager for The Idaho Foodbank.

Foodbank President Karen Vauk said there were fresh potatoes, mashed potatoes, frozen waxed green beans, pinto beans and chicken stew. Beyond that, each box contained a beef roast from Beef Counts, a program that brings Idaho’s beef industry into partnership with the food bank to provide a year-round supply of protein.

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Carmen Ramirez loads food from The Idaho Foodbank, which was donated by the Magic Valley Cattle Association, Caring Cowboys and Beef Counts, into a car Tuesday, October 9, 2012 in Kimberly. (Photo courtesy of the Times-News)

A Partner Profile

By Melissa Davlin – Times-News

Robyn Moss has worked with Magic Valley’s hungry residents for almost four years, helping to coordinate monthly food distributions that serve food-insecure households in small communities.

She hopes to increase that aid by finding a building to store food.

But that will cost about $1,000 per month or more, depending on the need. Currently,Moss is visiting city councils, civic clubs and churches and asking them to consider making donations to sustain the food pantry.

The RockCreek Food Pantry serves households outside of Twin Falls, Moss said, including people from Hansen, Kimberly, Murtaugh.

The food pantry serves about 175 households, up from 110 when the pantry first formed in January 2009.

Right now, The Idaho Foodbank provides food for the RockCreek Food Pantry, bringing boxes in monthly deliveries to Crossroads United Methodist Church in Kimberly.

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