It all began four weeks ago when an urgent message was shared around the same subject that is now the subject of national and international news stories – livestock are being slaughtered by desperate farmers.  Livestock that could be food for hungry people.

“A credible source sent a message concerning the disposal of animal carcasses that wouldn’t be able to be slaughtered due to the current pandemic,” Ducheneaux explained.

Kelsey Ducheneaux, IAC Natural Resources Director shared the message with IAC leadership and the team began its work, he said, “First we reached out to the Quapaw Tribe in Northeast Oklahoma who operates a federally inspected, multi-species slaughter facility.  In a two-minute conversation, Chris Roper said, ‘Count us in for a load, we’ll make it work.  We have to.  We can’t let all that food go to waste.’”

The next call was made to State Conservationist, Jeff Zimprich, who confirmed that yes, worst case scenario planning was underway to assist in the best process for disposal of not only hog carcasses, but all animals.

This was followed by a conversation with pork producer, John Macgregor, Ducheneaux said, “With the burial pit being dug for his hogs, there was still an eagerness in his voice to do some good.  When asked for a price, he quoted a price of about $35 per head when it was explained that people in need would be fed.”

IAC then connected Macgregor and Roper and committed to purchase and ship the hogs.  As the story continued to unfold, another message to an IAC employee from a family friend who was also a veterinarian was happening simultaneously Ducheneaux noted, “The vet, Kathleen Jost, was sharing – with considerable consternation – the fact that the coming week was booked with euthanization of hogs in the Morris, Minnesota area for disposal.”
Yet another conversation with Roper at Quapaw took place to tap into his network of Tribal connections, Ducheneaux said, “This resulted in a text message from Roper to myself stating they could move three pot loads of hogs.  It was relayed the effort to rally more tribes was ongoing.”

Roper said as the coronavirus continues to impact meat processing plants nationwide, farmers and ranchers will continue asking for help with their growing backlog of hogs, turkeys, and other animals.  He reiterated the Quapaw Nation and IAC will strive to work together to extend a helping hand to agricultural producers across the United States to help prevent food waste.

“By making arrangements with farmers and ranchers with backlogs of hogs, Quapaw Nation and Intertribal Agricultural Council were able to provide safe transportation for the animals to be distributed to tribal members and to the community, preventing them from being euthanized and ultimately wasted,” Roper reiterated.

“Tribes across the nation were originally hunters and gathers and processed their own animals.  Tribes have the natural ability to process and preserve their own food and should have access to these animals to keep them from being wasted.”

COVID-19 is not the cause – but is exposing long-term, systemic issues. What Ducheneaux wants all people to understand is, “COVID-19 is not the cause of the ag crisis.  Ag debt has increased by four percent a year since 1994.  We have become more and more distanced from our food sources.  We have allowed a wedge to be driven between urban and rural folks as though our lives are mutually exclusive from each other.”“The farmers share of every dollar spent on food remains below 15 cents,” he pointed out.