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AFAN grants help Nebraska food pantries buy refrigerator and freezer units

The Alliance for the Future of Agriculture in Nebraska (AFAN) has developed a grant program to assist food pantries in purchasing refrigerator and freezer units to store perishable food.

AFAN executive director Steve Martin says those units will allow food pantries to safely store milk, which is the number one requested item at food pantries, as well as meat and other dairy products. 

He says the idea originated with a Nebraska dairy farmer who wanted to buy milk and donate it to his local food pantry.

“They told him they would love to have it (milk) but they did not have refrigeration,” Martin says. “So that farmer worked with his dairy association and they were able to come up with some funds and actually bought refrigeration units for four food pantries.”

Under the program, food pantries can receive up to four-thousand dollars for refrigerators, freezers and associated expenses through AFAN.

Martin says the demand for grants has already exceeded the funding that has been committed to the project and AFAN is seeking monetary donations to be able to assist more food pantries in obtaining equipment.

AFAN is partnering with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and Nebraska’s various commodity groups on the project. More details can be found on the AFAN website.