WASHINGTON, DC – National Guard troops on duty in the nation’s capital will soon be getting a different taste in the chow line. Farmers Union Enterprises (FUE) announced it will be donating $50,000 to provide roughly 5,000 soldiers with a nutritious meal from Founding Farmers restaurants, based in the Washington, D.C., area.
“Feeding people is what farmers do,” said Doug Sombke, chairman of FUE, South Dakota Farmers Union president and a fourth-generation farmer. “We appreciate the National Guard protecting our Capitol and democracy. But their service takes them far from their homes and families, so, it’s our hope that a made-from-scratch meal from our farmer-owned restaurants reminds them a bit of their homes and loved ones and shows how much we appreciate their sacrifice.”
FUE is made up of several Farmers Union-owned businesses in the Upper Midwest — the dividends of which help fund Farmers Union organizations in Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, as well as FUE programs and National Farmers Union.
Dan Simons, manager of Founding Farmers and Farmers Restaurant Group, said lunch and dinner meals will be delivered this week to the National Guard for distribution through their food service network.
“Heart. Generosity. Farming. Security. Service. The ingredients in this recipe are amazing on their own and even more remarkable together,” Simons said. “My team and I are honored to be able to provide delish meals to those who serve and protect each and every day, and have sincere gratitude to our farmer-owners for their generosity with funding this mission.”
Anyone wishing to donate to this humanitarian effort can do so online through the South Dakota Farmers Union Foundation. Go to sdfufoundation.org and click on “Donate.”
