VERNAL, Utah – Many people have been made redundant because of the pandemic, particularly in the Uintah Basin, due to decreased oil demand. The Farmers Feeding Utah program arrived in Vernal to serve families in need.
This part of Utah lives and dies with the oil industry and has seen many booms and busts. However, due to COVID-19, many people who work in the oil industry have been laid off or on leave. This can make paying bills difficult.
But on Friday, farmers across Utah were helping these families with food.
“You just need a little hand up. It’s not a handout, just a little help, ”said Ron Gibson.
Gibson is the president of the Utah Farm Bureau, but also a director of the Farmers Feeding Utah program.
It started a few months ago. The idea was that with so many restaurants closing due to the pandemic, farmers started getting a surplus of their produce.
Many processing plants have also closed due to COVID-19, which meant that farmers had no space to get their products ready for the market.
Instead of wasting these products, Farmers Feeding Utah was created so people could donate to the program.
The program then buys that surplus from farmers and donates the groceries to food banks and charities across the state to help people in need of groceries.
To date, Farmers Feeding Utah has hosted fundraising events in San Juan County, the Navajo Nation, Cache County, Salt Lake City, and Ogden.
The program took place in Vernal on Friday and helped families in the Uintah basin.
“You have a double punch,” said Gibson. “You have been hit by the effects of the coronavirus and now the declining economy. This whole area in the Uintah Basin is probably harder hit than anywhere else in the state. “
The event in Western Park started at 5 p.m. and lasted until 7 p.m.
Potatoes, vegetables and meat from farmers were available to the families free of charge.
“It couldn’t affect their lives forever,” Gibson said. “But what it will do is make them feel good, and it will make them feel that people care about them.”
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