New Mexico Hunters Helping the Hungry program relaunched to help food banks

After a hiatus that coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, the New Mexico Hunters Helping the Hungry (NM-HHH) program is making a comeback this season.

Originally launched in 2016, the program is designed to help distribute wild game meat to hungry New Mexicans. This is achieved through a partnership between New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, Roadrunner Food Bank and the Food Depot to enable hunters to make donations of deer, elk, antelope, oryx, ibex or Barbary sheep meat to processors in the state.

“The past year brought renewed interest in getting this program back up and running to help meet the growing issue of hunger in many New Mexico communities,” Darren Vaughan, NMDGF communications director, said. “The department and the Governor's Office were pleased to help facilitate the relaunch of this program, which enables New Mexicans to help New Mexicans meet the growing issue of hunger in many New Mexico communities.”

Though NM-HHH lost some momentum during the pandemic, improvements have been made in hopes of making the program a fixture in the Land of Enchantment each hunting season. Partnering with Roadrunner Food Bank and the Food Depot is expected to improve food distribution, and the number of species that can be donated has also been increased from past years. It is also easier for processors to participate this year, Vaughan said. Currently, hunters can donate their game meat to Honest Processing in Raton or Padilla’s Meat Cutting and Processing in Arroyo Hondo. It will then be collected by either Roadrunner or the Food Depot to be distributed to various pantries and food bank partners.

The goal is to eventually enroll more meat processors later this season or by next year, which will improve both distribution and donation capabilities — as well as reach more families throughout New Mexico.

Neither hunters nor processors are charged for their participation, as donations have covered all the costs that accompany processing the meat. Hunters do have the option of donating the fee to the program if desired.

“It's important to us because meat protein is expensive, and hunting is a big deal in New Mexico,” Joe Phy, Roadrunner Food Bank vice president of strategic initiatives, said. “So marrying those two things together to be able to get fresh frozen meat protein out to our agency partners to help with hunger release in New Mexico is kind of a natural collaboration.

“We know we have a lot of hunters in state and out of state that after they kill an animal and have it processed, they may or may not want to take that meat back with them. So the opportunity to donate it to a charitable organization and help people out is a great option now on the table.”

To ensure that the wild game meat is properly cared for prior to reaching the processing plants, hunters must complete a checklist, Vaughan said. According to NMDGF, the five primary criteria are as follows:

• The animal appeared to be healthy and did not exhibit obvious signs of illness.

• The animal was field dressed within one hour of harvest.

• The meat was chilled or placed in refrigeration at temperatures below 41 degrees quickly after field dressing.

• The meat was protected from contamination during transport and separated from nonfood items.

• During transportation, the meat was maintained at a temperature below 41 degrees.

According to Phy, the easiest way to find out about where food will be distributed is by visiting the Roadrunner Food Bank website, rrfb.org.

“We have a food finder on our website that provides information,” Phy said. “Somebody can punch in their ZIP code, and it'll let them know when and where the closest food distribution will be happening near them.

“As far as protein specifically harvested through this program, it’ll be distributed on a case-by-case basis as it's available. If an agency partner has this product on hand, it will just be incorporated into one of their normal distributions.”

The relaunched NM-HHH program is expected to run through hunting season this year. “As long as folks are harvesting animals and taking them to processing … it will be eligible,” Phy said.

There is optimism among the participating partners that the program will continue to grow with the rebrand. Phy said there have been talks with as many as a dozen processors throughout the state.

“I can just say that any time our agency partners or New Mexico food banks are able to distribute New Mexico-grown or New Mexico-harvested products … it’s uplifting and it demonstrates that show of local support and people taking care of one another,” Phy said.

Hunters wishing to participate in New Mexico Hunters Helping the Hungry can visit rrfb.org for a donation form and for more information.