Source: Susan Kelly, MEATINGPLACE, 9/20/18



Perdue Farms said it is sending food, meals and a large donation to the American Red Cross to aid recovery efforts in the Carolinas in response to historic flooding in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence.

Perdue is working with Feeding America to deliver a half-million pounds of food, equal to 416,000 meals, to member food banks in the Carolinas. The company will also make a $250,000 donation through its charitable foundation to Red Cross chapters in the region. The first truckloads of food will arrive by Monday, Perdue said.

Perdue’s own food truck will be re-deployed to hard-hit Lumberton, N.C., from other appearances to serve meals to victims and first responders beginning this weekend. The company has also provided ice to assist in the ongoing power outages.

“The losses endured by thousands of Carolinians, including many of our associates, farmers and their families, is heartbreaking. It hits close to home,” said Randy Day, CEO of Perdue Farms, in a statement. “We hope our contributions will speed the recovery process in the region.”

At least 37 people have died, including 27 in North Carolina, 8 in South Carolina and 2 in Virginia, in storm-related incidents, CBS News reported late Wednesday. Massive flooding continues, and 343,000 people were without power in North Carolina.

Update on hog farms, lagoons
The North Carolina Pork Council on Wednesday afternoon said most of the state’s 2,100 hog farms were returning to normal operations, five days after the storm hit. In many cases, farmers have remained at their barns for days to care for animals, with some accessing barns by boat and even helicopter, the group reported.

The council said the number of hog waste lagoons that received structural damages has risen to five, and 17 lagoons were at capacity due to rainfall and appear to have overtopped. There are more than 3,300 anaerobic treatment lagoons in the state.
North Carolina’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has estimated that 3.4 million poultry birds and 5,500 hogs died in the storm and subsequent flooding.

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