Summertime is one of the hardest times of year for food banks as donations drop off dramatically. Brian Barks, spokesman for the Food Bank for the Heartland, says they’re launching a new effort allowing people to “text” donations to the agency. Barks says the signs are clear the economy isn’t getting any better. “Families are having a hard time making ends meet,” Barks says. “If you think, when’s the last time we heard of a company saying we’re adding upper, high-paying jobs? The jobs we’re adding to the economy are lower-level, service-related jobs.”

A recent “Map the Meal Gap” study was compiled by the group Feeding America and Barks says the results were troubling. “The study that’s done each June says 211,000 people in our service area are at risk for hunger,” Barks says. “That number has been pretty much flat the last three years. What that tells us is the issue of hunger isn’t getting any worse but it’s not getting any better.”

It’s hoped the new texting program will lure more people into donating cash to the food bank. They just need to text the word “feed” to 501-501 from a cell phone. “And all you do is type in ‘yes’ and hit ‘send’ and you’ve made a $10 donation,” Barks says. “That will allow us to provide 30 meals to people who need it.”

The Omaha-based facility supplies food items to 325 food pantries, homeless shelters and soup kitchens in 93 counties across western Iowa and Nebraska. Last year, it provided food to 19,000 families in need, in addition to helping emergency shelters, after-school programs, senior housing sites and rehab centers.

(Radio Iowa)

The Cass County Fair is beginning to wind down, in Atlantic. Today marks the last full day of activities, and it begins at 8-a.m. with the Beef Show, followed by the Best of Iowa at 9:30, where contestants select a recipe using an Iowa product or products, as the main ingredient. The recipes are prepared in front of a judge, and are evaluated on the presentation, the number and use of Iowa products, and the finished product. All finished products will be arranged on a tasting table for the public to sample, and the Union Leaders 4-H Club will provide cookbooks for sale, listing all the recipes. Awards will be presented following the contest.

Other scheduled events include: The Watermelon Feed, beginning at 11-a.m.; The Dairy/Goat show at 12:30; Meat Goat Show at 1-p.m.; Skid Loader Rodeo at 2-p.m., and the Style Show along with building awards, at 4:30.

The evening wraps-up with the Parade of Champions at 6, followed by the Grand Champion Beef Selection at 7, and the finals of the skid loader rodeo, at 8-p.m.

On Tuesday, the Livestock sale gets underway at 8-a.m., along with the release of the static exhibits.