Hundreds of grateful members of the 132nd Fighter Wing, Iowa Air National Guard lined up at the Des Moines Air Base Sunday afternoon to receive 750 free smoked hams donated by the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation/Iowa Select Farms.
Members of the Iowa Air National Guard joined Iowa Select Farms staffers in handing out the 10-lb. hams, which have a combined value of $15,000.
“Supporting military families in Iowa is a core mission of the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation,” says Jeff Hansen, president and CEO of Iowa Select Farms. “The gift of hams is our way of saying thank you to those who are on active duty, and also to those who dedicate their time to civilian duty and the Reserves.”
Tech. Sgt. Shane Olson, who serves with the 132nd Fighter Wing, Iowa Air National Guard, says: “I’m very grateful we have companies like this in Iowa providing free hams for us. It says a lot about who we are and where we’re from. So thank you very much [Iowa Select Farms].”
In addition, the Iowa Select Farms staffers were at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Waterloo earlier that day to distribute 115 hams to the following units:
The Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation and Iowa Select Farms also support other programs for Iowa members of the military and their families. These include Operation Home Front, Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve, and Paws & Effect, which trains service dogs for combat veterans who are either mobility impaired or have combat-acquired Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Iowa Select Farms, based in Iowa Falls, is the largest pork producer in Iowa. The company has been producing high-quality pork for 20 years and is committed to meeting or exceeding all requirements in efforts to protect the environment and ensure proper care and well-being of swine.
With nearly 550 swine farms across the state, Iowa Select Farms is one of the leading economic engines in Iowa's rural communities, employing more than 1,000 people, contracting with more than 345 farm families and supporting hundreds of local businesses throughout the state.