Share the Harvest capacity increases

For the first time ever, Missouri's Share the Harvest program will have the capacity to process up to 10,000 deer this season and provide that venison to families in need, thanks to a partnership between Gov. Jay Nixon, the Missouri Department of Conservation, the Conservation Federation of Missouri, and local food banks.

Last year, Missouri hunters donated 4,200 full deer to Share the Harvest.

Because of this expansion, contributing a deer will be easier and cheaper than ever. For each whole deer contributed this season, the Conservation Federation will reimburse local processors $60, directly reducing the processing cost for the hunter. That is a significant increase over the $40 reimbursement offered last year. In many cases, local charities also will cover the balance of the processing cost.

Share the Harvest subsidizes the cost of butchering and packaging whole deer donated by Missouri hunters. To participate, hunters simply take their deer to an approved processor and indicate how much venison they wish to contribute, ranging from a few pounds to a whole deer. The funds provided for Share the Harvest by Gov. Nixon will help alleviate financial constraints on the program and raise the number of deer individual processors are able to accept.

The 2010 Missouri firearms deer season opens Saturday, Nov. 13. A complete list of participating meat processors, including RS and C Processing, El Dorado Springs, is available on the Missouri state Web site. To access this information, visit MO.gov and search for "Share the Harvest."