Valley cooperatives make massive beef & cheese donation to Luray food pantry

LURAY, Va. (WHSV) - Rockingham and Page Cooperatives teamed up Tuesday to donate 450 pounds of mozzarella cheese and 150 pounds of ground beef to Page One Food Pantry in Luray.

Page One says the donation will make a big difference for those in need around the county.

“With the prices of inflation on food and all your utilities, being able to have that extra meat for many families, we serve a lot of big families with children and this is gonna be a big support to them,” said Lois Shaffer, director of Page One Food Pantry.

The donations were made as part of Rockingham Cooperative’s Beef & Cheese ministries, and they couldn’t have come at a better time for the pantry where donations have decreased since Thanksgiving.

“We’re getting ready for the holiday season and we do have the space and they will be issued out to anyone that applies here locally, it’s wonderful to have beef, it’s not something we get on a regular basis or cheese,” said Shaffer.

All of the beef donated was purchased from local farmers as part of the cooperatives’ continued efforts to support them.

“I call it a win, win, and win because you’re helping the producer, you’re helping the businesses in the county and hopefully it will go and be beneficial to the people that have the oppurtunity to use our product,” said Jerry Burner, a Page County cattle farmer and member of both cooperatives.

Burner, whose farm provided the beef that was donated, said the ministries also provide a chance to show the quality of local farm products.

“The product that we can offer here on a local deal I think is a very good product, I think people will realize that good things do grow in Page County, so it’s been a pleasure to do business with them,” he said.

Tuesday marked the first time the Beef & Cheese ministries were extended to Page County.

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