posted on Wednesday, April 20, 2016 in West Region News
Lamar residents and AMVC employees, Emilee Boyd and Ben Fernandez, Jr. recently volunteered at Meals for the Heartland in Des Moines, Iowa. Boyd and Fernandez work at Holly Sow, LLC, in Holly and participated in the event as part of AMVC’s swine production leadership development program (LDP), where they are strengthening and developing their skills to become successful in future management roles. Quarterly, this leadership group comes together for training and to embrace the values that AMVC upholds.
Volunteering at Meals for the Heartland was a fulfilling experience, “That day put some work into bagging rice and soy based meals that will be sent to local communities and countries where hunger is an issue,” said Fernandez, assistant manager at Holly Sow, LLC, and LDP employee.
During the group’s two hour volunteer packing session, 75,000 meals were produced.
Volunteering at Meals for the Heartland was the best part of the week for Boyd, “It was a rewarding feeling to know you helped someone who needed it.”
Last year, Meals for the Heartland packaged 10,658,144 meals and were distributed across thirteen countries and central Iowa food banks. AMVC employees know that solving world hunger is an ongoing problem that cannot be solved in a single day or by a single task.
“As a pork producer I like to think my job is along the same lines as this project; I'm making a product that will help feed the world. When I go to work I think about how many people I’m feeding by caring for the animals. The impact I am making on a daily basis is harder to visualize, but is just as exciting,” added Boyd.
AMVC manages Holly Sow, a 3,840 head breed-to-wean sow farm in Holly. AMVC has a livestock management presence in eight states by providing swine husbandry, veterinary, nutritional and employee services.