It’s estimated that one in four children, and one in eight adults, in the U.S. go to bed hungry at night. While food production isn’t an issue in the U.S., food waste and undernourishment due to poverty are growing problems. Here are three ways people are helping fight hunger.

1. “Why A Star Football Player Traded NFL Career For A Tractor” by Steve Hartman for CBS News

According to the story, “At one point, number 60, Jason Brown, was one of the best centers in the NFL. At one point, he had a five-year, $37 million contract with the St. Louis Rams. And at one point, he decided it was all meaningless - and just walked away from football.

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“So what could possibly trump the NFL? You wouldn't believe it. Jason Brown quit football to be a plain, old farmer -- even though he'd never farmed a day in his life. He learned how to farm from Youtube.”

Brown says he’s never felt more successful. He’s dedicated his life to one of service and has donated his first harvest to the local food pantry. Talk about an inspiration!

2. New Bayer campaign donates meals to Feeding America

Be #Thankful4Ag is a new campaign by Bayer CropScience that is dedicated to helping feed the hungry. An interactive website allows viewers to learn fun facts about our Thanksgiving foods while helping the needy.

To participate, viewers simply need to put together a digital meal of favorite holiday dishes, read some fun facts about those foods, and share that meal with friends online. Once shared, Bayer donates 10 meals to Feeding America.

Check it out here and help those in need this holiday season.

3. “To End Food Waste, Change Needs To Begin At Home” by Grant Gerlock for NPR.org

Gerlock reports, “Food is the largest single source of waste in the U.S. More food ends up in landfills than plastic or paper. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 20% of what goes into municipal landfills is food. Food waste tipped the scale at 35 million tons in 2012. The enormous amount of wasted food is weighing on our food system.”

According to the article, 40% of all food produced in the U.S. doesn’t make it to the table, costing Americans $165 billion annually.

We can all do our part to not only donate food to the needy but also reduce our waste. For tips on how to reduce food waste at home, read the rest of the article here.

What do you think about this week’s positive reads? How have you helped fight hunger in your own communities? Share your stories in the comments section below.

The opinions of Amanda Radke are not necessarily those of Beefmagazine.com or the Penton Farm Progress Group.

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