Free food boxes including chicken, potatoes, and milk available around northeast Wisconsin

Free boxes of food including chicken, potatoes, carrots, cheese, yogurt, and Lamers Dairy milk are set to be available for pickup around northeast Wisconsin through at least the end of June.

NEED FOOD HAVE ANEW CHANCE NOW TOGET A FREE BOXTHAT IS FULL OFFOOD.THE PROGRAM GOTUNDERWAY TODAY.A MAN WHO'S PART OFTHE PROGRAM SAYSTHE IDEA IS THREE-FOLD.TO HELP FARMERS, TOHAVE LOCALWORKERS ON THEJOB TO PACK THESEBOXES, AND TO HELPFAMLIES WHO NEEDTHE FOOD.(PICTURE OF BOX -PLEASE COURTESYALL STILL PICTURESWITH: "VALLEYCOOPERATIVEASSOCIATION"):TEN POUNDS OFCHICKEN, FIVEPOUNDS OF RUSSETPOTATOES, MILKFROM LAMERS DAIRYIN OUTAGAMIECOUNTY, PLUSCARROTS, CHEESE,AND YOGURT.COULD TURN INTO ASTEW, A CASSEROLE,A SOUP.COULD FEED A FAMILYFOR DAYS.(distribution video)AND IT CAN HELPMORE THAN HUNGRYFAMILIES.Farmers are hurting allover the country, theyhave excess products thatthey're not really selling tothe food servicedistribution points rightnow, the restaurants, sowe want to help them bycombing all theiringredients into a box, andgetting them to people inthe valley here who arereally in need of food.THESE PICTURES AREFROM VALLEYCOOPERATIVEASSOCIATION, A FOODDISTRIBUTOR INOUTAGAMIE COUNTYTHAT WON A FEDERALCONTRACT WORTHMORE THAN 2-MILLIONDOLLARS TO PUTTOGETHER THESEFOOD BOXES.THE PROGRAM ISCALLED FARMERS TOFAMILIES FOOD BOXPROGRAM.Food's coming from thefarmers all over thenation, those foodproducts are going intothese boxes, we'repacking those up on adaily basis, and bringingthem out to thecommunities.THE IDEA IS TO TAKESURPLUS FOOD, WISESAYS THEY'RE PAYINGREDUCED RATES.AND THEN THE FOODIS GIVEN AWAY FORFREE.NATIONWIDE, THEUSDA SAYS THEFARMERS TO FAMILIESPROGRAM HASAWARDED MORETHAN A BILLIONDOLLARS INCONTRACTS LIKE THISONE.The back of the truck willbe opened, and feedingAmerica volunteers will beat the back of the truck,taking the boxes off, andloading it into everybody'strunks.

They don't evenhave to get out of theirvehicles, they'll put a boxinto the trunk, maybe eventwo boxes if you're tryingto get food for somebodythat can't come out of theirhomes."THIS EVENT.

WAS ATCALDER STADIUM INMENASHA.EXCEPT FORMEMORIAL DAY,THESE ARE SET TORUN EVERY WEEKDAYTHROUGH THE ENDOF JUNE ATLOCATIONS AROUNDNORTHEASTWISCONSIN.ALL TOGETHER, ATLEAST 60-THOUSANDHALF-GALLONS OFMILK FROM LAMERSDAIRY ARE SET TO BEPART OF THE BOXES.ERIC MCGUIRE WITHLAMERS SAYSTHEY'RE SELLING THEMILK AT-COST.AND THE MILK WOULDOTHERWISE BE GOINGTO A CHEESEFACTORY.SO THESE BOXESMEAN OTHERFARMERS MIGHT NOWBE ABLE TO SENDTHEIR MILK TO THECHEESE FACTORY.What that does allow ismaybe perhaps a differentfarm or different patron ofthis cheese plant that mayhave been told, well wecan't take as much as wewould have liked to, youmay need to dump someof it down the drain,hopefully this will allowthem to supply that plantas well, to make up fromthe shortfall that they maynot be getting from us.HE SAYS THE BOXPROGRAM CAN HAVEA COMMUNITY RIPPLEEFFECT."ideally what we're doing,is we're propping up thedemand for the overallmilk from the farms."FARMERS ON ONESIDE OF THE FOODCHAIN, AND FAMILIESON THE OTHER.WITH THE HOPEBEING THAT THEBOXES HELP THEMBOTH.SO AGAIN, THE BOXESARE FREE, AVAILABLETO ANYONE WHONEEDS THEM.HERE'S A LIST OF THEDISTRUBTION SITES.THIS CONTINUESTHROUGH THE ENDOF JUNE, EXCEPT FORMEMORIAL DAY.ON MONDAYs,WINNEBAGO COUNTY.ON TUESDAYS,WAUSHARA ANDWAUPACA COUNTIES.IN WAUPACA COUNTY,IT'S AT THE WAUPACAEXPO PARKING LOT.ON WEDNESDAYS,BROWN COUNTY ATN-W-T-C.ON THURSDAYS, ATF-V-T-C.ON FRIDAYS, THEFAIRGROUNDS INSHAWANO AND ALSOTHE FAIRGROUNDS INMENOMINEE COUNTY.IF I DIDN'T LIST THELOCATION, IT'S STILLBEING DETERMINEDOR SEVERAL WERELISTED.WE HAVE THESPECIFIC LOCATIONSAND TIMES ON OURWEBSITE, NBC 26 DOTCOM.NEW TONIGHT ...PRESID