skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, February 13, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

US sues NY state officials over immigration enforcement; NM's national monuments face new development threats from Trump; NC community colleges get 'boost' to bring more students to high-demand jobs; Trump's resignation plan for federal workers can move forward; Advocates push for program to decrease wildlife collisions in VA.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Deregulation raises environmental and public health concerns, national monuments face potential risks, political neutrality in education sparks protests, and Tulsi Gabbard's confirmation fuels controversy.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rural America struggles with opioids and homelessness in unexpected ways, Colorado's Lariat Ditch could help spur local recreation, and book deliveries revive rural communities hit by Hurricane Helene.

Grant helps WY pantries source food locally

play audio
Play

Wednesday, June 5, 2024   

As summer begins, people who rely on Food Bank of Wyoming will start seeing more local options, thanks to a new grant.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the state this year awarded the Food Bank of Wyoming a Local Food Purchasing Agreement Grant for the first time. The $500,000 grant helps the organization buy food from local producers and distribute it across the state via 150 brick-and-mortar pantries, 19 mobile pantries and backpack programs that provide simple meals for kids.

Odessa Oldham, food sourcing manager for the Food Bank of Wyoming, said she will purchase local corn, oats, pancake mix, flour, wheat berries and, of course, beef.

"We've been able to increase our beef by a little over 12,000 pounds and we're just beginning," Oldham noted. "I'm hoping to buy a heck of a lot more beef."

Oldham emphasized she hopes to source more local fruits and vegetables too, but those make up only a small amount of Wyoming-grown produce. The Food Bank of Wyoming has seen increased need since the pandemic. It served nearly 45,000 patrons last year, a 9% increase from 2022.

Before she started sourcing locally for the food bank in 2022, Oldham explained most of its food came from Denver. Oldham, a rancher herself, hopes the grant will connect local producers with buyers to build a network that will outlive the grant's timeline.

"It's an opportunity to not just sell your product to the food bank, but to open up to another market -- a larger market -- of other individuals in the state that are looking to purchase locally," Oldham added.

Grant monies are available through July of next year, when Oldham stressed she plans to apply for another round.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Advocates for public lands warn that even drilling on lands adjacent to places such as Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado and Utah can lead to industrial contamination of shared waterways. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

As the Trump administration considers oil, gas and mining on lands owned by all Americans, including in national monuments designated under the …


Social Issues

play sound

Connecticut education advocates feel Gov. Ned Lamont's 2026-2027 budget proposal continues a history of underfunding education. While the new budget …

Health and Wellness

play sound

An Alabama Senate Judiciary Committee has unanimously approved a bill that would exempt nursing mothers from jury duty. The proposal comes after an …


If passed, Senate Bill 1 would prohibit public universities from requiring diversity, equity and inclusion training for students, faculty and staff. Event photo credit Ohio Student Association.

play sound

Ohio Senate Bill 1 is drawing strong reactions across the state, particularly from students in higher education. The bill, which its supporters say …

Social Issues

play sound

An effort to increase students heading into high-demand jobs from North Carolina's community colleges is receiving a "boost." The N-C Community Colleg…

Montana ranks ninth in the country for the ratio of non-elderly adults in rural areas that rely on Medicaid coverage, at 22.2%, according to a January report from the Georgetown Center for Children and Families. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

A January report shows that in rural counties home to large numbers of American Indians, including in Montana, people are more likely to rely on …

Environment

play sound

Virginia is the ninth-likeliest state for a driver to hit wildlife but environmental advocates are working to change it. One in 76 people in …

Social Issues

play sound

Whether it's pressure from inflation or health-care costs eating away at savings, a reliable "nest-egg" is still up in the air for many Americans…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021