Tobacco trust fund for farmers hunter program

Columbus County is one of the areas targeted by the joint efforts to increase hunting opportunities and to better manage the deer. Judy Gardener Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA), said that the effort combines the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, QDMA, NC Wildlife Federation and other groups to create a Farmers Deer Management Project. Organizations have joined together to obtain a grant from the NC Tobacco Trust Fund to help farmers find another source of income to the loss of tobacco income. $ 150,000 grant will fund the start of the project, the organizers hope, will lead to the creation of new and sustainable income for farmers, hunters offer better opportunities of harvesting, and to help feed the hungry in local communities. "We are excited and grateful for this grant," said Carol Buie-Jackson, NCWF CEO "This is an ideal program, which is positive on many fronts, helping farmers, helping the health of the population as a whole deer, and feeding the hungry." The two-year program that starts in January 2013, aims to help farmers manage the deer population, allowing athletes to hunt on their agricultural land in accordance with their specific plan for the collection of deer. Within two weeks of the fall 2013 season on deer, NCWF will lease the land from row crop farmers, who want to reduce the population of deer on their land, and to recruit athletes to hunt deer on farmland. Deer hunters will collect in accordance with the harvest plan that will reduce crop insurance often damage caused by deer, and increase the supply of proteins needed by local food banks through donations of venison. Participation of farmers will be repeated again hunts in 2014 and will be invited to continue this practice in the future. NC Hunters for the Hungry (HftH) processors will grind meat on NCDA & CS services are certified, the freezing of meat in two packages of pounds, and send it back to the local food banks in need of protein. While hunters hungry is no stranger to local organizations hunting, slow economy caused a drop donations in recent years, the hunters gathered less deer meat stored for their families, or are unwilling to pay a processing fee to have the meat cooked for HftH . "This is a positive opportunity to serve the community and get a local civic-minded groups involved as well. "Implementation of the landing site, transporting deer to the processor, and the financing of (future) cost of processing will promote stability after the two year period of this project," said Judy Gardner. She added that the cost of processing the deer collected and donated will be covered by the program in 2013 and 2014. Deer burger, fries and other abbreviations commonly used food pantries and kitchens, to provide food for the needy. The meat is low in fat, high in protein, and is considered healthier than the mass production of livestock. Some heart specialists and nutritionists recommend consumption of venison for patients with heart disease. "One deer can provide an average of 160 meals," said Guy Gardner, Head Deer Farmers Management program. "Deer are the main culprits in causing an estimated $ 29.4 million in damage to North Carolina crops," said Steven Troxler, North Carolina Department of Agriculture Commissioner in his letter of support for the project. In anticipation of the project's success, William Upchurch, executive director of the NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, hopes that the program can serve as a model that can be applied to other crops and other areas that may be experiencing deer overpopulation. Gordon Myers, a North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC), understands that the program contributes to the conservation of wildlife resources and provide hunting opportunities, integration of NCWRC, NCDA & CS and hunters for hungry purpose "so as to benefit a wide range of interested parties than when programs run independently. While some farmers already allow limited hunting on their land, the project will help farmers to develop an effective strategy for hunting, according to the FMD project managers. "Deer harvest plans will be developed in collaboration with the guidelines provided by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission," said Guy Gardner QDMA. "Harvest goals will be set to reduce the loss of crops and offer the farmer to use deer hunting as renewable, sustainable source of income." From January to March 2013, the program will recruit peasants. Hunters will be collected using the following summer Hunting NC farmland, a Web service, run by NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Farmers and landowners with active row crop land, who want to register for Managing Deer farmers can contact with Guy and Judy Gardner at 919-250-8441 or 919-608-3386 or e-mail guyandjudy@ncwf.org Meeting at City Hall, is now scheduled for Elizabethtown in the near future. One of the target areas for farmers Deer Management program consists of Columbus, Bladen, Brunswick, Pender and New Hanover counties.