April 23, 2024

Grain buying power: Farmers participate in drive for food banks

By Jeannine Otto

Aaron Mosher, operations manager and location manager for the Sterling location of Rock River Lumber and Grain, unloads grain at the company’s Sterling location. Rock River Lumber and Grain is one of several agribusinesses that have started the Food Bank Fund to benefit regional and local food banks. The idea was put into motion by local farmer Nik Jakobs. Jakobs called local farmers, elevators and grain merchandisers, and the Sauk Valley agricultural community has stepped up with donations. Donations of grain and cash can be made at Rock River Lumber and Grain, FS Grain and Goldstar FS locations. (Nik Jakobs)

STERLING, Ill. — Farmers are no strangers to difficult times. They’re also not strangers to stepping up to help neighbors in need.

A Sauk Valley farmer has set the wheels in motion so farmers can turn donations of grain into cash to help food banks that are helping families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are all in this together, and this is unprecedented. We’ve never been faced with a challenge like this,” said Nik Jakobs.

Jakobs farms with his father, brothers and other family members as part of Jakobs Brothers Farms, a corn, soybean, wheat and beef cattle operation in rural Sterling.

He’s been keeping up with the news about COVID-19 and the rapid spread of the coronavirus across the country and knew that he and other farmers could do something to help.

He made a call to Northern Illinois Food Bank and discovered that food banks are facing increased demand from the feeding programs they serve.

“It’s not necessarily that we have a massive problem at this minute, but I thought, what if we are quarantined for a month or two months and if people are out of work for months? This is going to be a really big problem, and I wanted to get out in front of it, not wait for the problem to occur, but try to be proactive,” Jakobs said.

He talked to Carey Bauer, co-manager at Rock River Lumber and Grain in Sterling.

“I asked him if I could get a bunch of local farmers, could you create a food bank fund and then we could start distributing that money out to food banks in our area?” Jakobs said.

Bauer was all in with the idea. So, Jakobs made a list of around 20 local farmers.

“The reception was incredible. Almost everyone I called wanted to help in some way,” Jakobs said.

When the grain donation wasn’t viable, farmers on the list did another thing at which they excel — they found a way to make it work.

“One person didn’t have a truck, so they brought a check. I had one farmer donate potatoes. Another donated beef. A couple worked together to fill a hopper, and other farmers brought whole hoppers down,” Jakobs said.

He talked to other grain merchandisers and elevator managers to expand the program.

“I called a friend a mine, Nick DawTyne, an originator at FS Grain, and he said, ‘How about if I get FS Grain involved?’ He did a wonderful job of that. They have 20 locations. I called GoldStar FS, and they were very receptive, as well, and got the message out,” Jakobs said.

Farmers can donate as much grain as they want through their grain merchandiser or elevator. That grain is turned into cash, and the cash is put into the fund for whichever food bank the donor designates.

If the donor does not have a chosen food bank or local food pantry or feeding program, the donation goes to the regional food bank that services feeding programs in the donor’s home area.

“The farmers who have participated so far have answered the call more than I could have hoped for,” Jakobs said.

By noon on March 25, the fund was at $20,000.

With the buying power that regional food banks, which do not distribute to individuals, but distribute food to food pantries, backpack programs and other community feeding programs, those donated dollars more than double in buying power, according to Elizabeth Gartman, communications manager for Northern Illinois Food Bank.

“That buying power is due to the fact that we have these really great relationships in the food manufacturing and retailer community, so $1 turns into $8 worth of food, with a combination of our donated and purchased product,” Gartman said.

Jakobs sees it from a farmer’s perspective.

“One bushel of corn provides $25 in groceries, and a hopper would provide over $20,000. Imagine where we would be if everybody participates in this together,” he said.

Jakobs said the response to the effort has been satisfying.

“It seems like everyone I reached out to has wanted to help. People are calling me asking how to help. I tell them we have to get the message out. This is not my idea. This is something that was meant to be. This is something we can springboard from, and we want to make this a movement,” Jakobs said.

Farmers and elevators turning grain into cash donations for worthy causes isn’t a new idea, Jakobs noted.

“Merchandisers have set up funds like this. They have donated to other causes like churches, schools and different organizations for years,” Jakobs said.

He said the response — from elevators, originators and farmers themselves — exhibits the best of the farming and agricultural community.

“One of the things I am most proud of being a farmer is the morals and the values of the farming community. Even though it’s been a rough couple of years in agriculture, farmers take an incredible amount of pride in the ability to feed this country and our communities. We understand, as farmers, there is no better time to help people than when they are in need,” Jakobs said.