How to get Share the Harvest started
in your area
- Clubs or organizations wishing to coordinate the Share the
Harvest program in their area may contact a conservation agent
in their county or the Conservation Department at the address
on the back panel. Agencies that distribute venison also may
fulfill the role of coordinator.
- Distributing agencies should be nonprofit charitable organizations.
They must have proper storage for the meat, and agree to distribute
uncooked venison directly to families or individuals.
- The coordinator should locate a deer processor who agrees
to participate in Share the Harvest. Processors also must be
a government-inspected facility.
- Once agreements are made with coordinator, deer processors
and distributing agencies, permission must be obtained from
the Conservation Department to conduct a Share the Harvest
program.
- After the local conservation agent approves the coordinator’s
choice of meat processors and distributing agencies, the coordinator
will receive written authorization and instructions.
Share the Harvest Guidelines
- Requests to participate in Share the Harvest should be submitted
to the director of the Conservation Department through a local
conservation agent. Requests must include names of participating
meat processors and the distributing agency.
- Meat processors must be licensed by the Conservation Department
to process deer and be subject to government health inspection,
or be approved by the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s
Meat Inspection Program.
- State and local health regulations must be followed.
- A conservation agent must initially approve the coordinator,
processors and distributing agency.
- Only venison from white-tailed deer legally taken in Missouri
will be accepted.
- Donated venison must be processed at approved meat processing
facilities.
- Records detailing number of donors, pounds of donated venison,
and charitable recipient group must be kept by the coordinator,
and submitted to the local conservation agent no later than
Feb. 1.
- Donated venison must be stored and transported in department-provided
plastic bags that display the Share the Harvest logo, or in
approved containers clearly marked with Share the Harvest labels.
- Venison may not be served cooked by the distributing agency,
and must be frozen at some time prior to being eaten.
- All donated venison must be distributed by May 1.
- Approval for participation is required annually.
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