Every year, young people in Benton County work hard raising animals for the Benton County Fair 4-H auction. Their dedication teaches responsibility, stewardship and the value of hard work. But when buyers choose to donate those animals, that investment becomes something even bigger: a source of nutritious food for local families.
The Benton County affiliate of Love INC (In the Name of Christ), a nonprofit representing a network of nearly 40 local churches, has once again secured an annual grant that will cover the cost of processing donated animals. This year, the program is expected to provide more than 3,000 pounds of high-quality beef and pork to local food programs and pantries — at no cost to the programs or the families they serve.
Love INC calls this initiative F.A.R.M. — Feeding Area Residents Meat. It brings together young people who raise livestock, community members who purchase and donate animals, a grant that makes processing possible, and local food programs that put the meat to work feeding our neighbors. Programs that benefit from the meat include, but are not limited to, Jackson Street Youth Shelter, South Corvallis Food Bank, Corvallis and Philomath Gleaners, Let’s Eat!, Philomath Community Meal, Dementia Warriors and more.
One of these programs is the Philomath Community Meal, which brings people together regularly to share a free meal and connect with others in the community. F.A.R.M. meat helps provide nutritious protein for these meals, turning a donation that began at the Benton County Fair into food shared around tables right here in Philomath.
“This program is a beautiful picture of neighbors helping neighbors,” says Jennifer Hanson, executive director of Love INC of Benton County. “Our 4-H youth work hard all year raising these animals with care and dedication. When someone chooses to purchase and donate that animal, they’re not just making a generous gift — they’re sharing the fruit of that hard work with families right here in our community.”
For Love INC and its partner churches, this kind of practical care is an expression of Christian faith. But programs like F.A.R.M. also demonstrate something that reaches beyond any one congregation: communities are stronger when people work together to help others.
And Love INC doesn’t stop at meat. With the help of nearly 40 partner churches and about 400 church volunteers, Love INC offers a variety of services to help fill gaps in resources in the community that are not currently or sufficiently being met. Any Benton County resident can receive help from Love INC — there are no income limits or qualifications that would make someone ineligible to receive services.
The Love INC Call Center connects people with partner church-hosted Gap Ministries and community agencies. The Med Shed provides free durable medical equipment, while Gap Ministries provide practical items such as firewood, linens, kids’ clothing and hygiene supplies. Grow Together classes offer free adult education focused on building life skills and pursuing greater stability and transformation.
These ministries meet different needs, but the heart behind them is the same: churches being mobilized to use their resources, relationships and volunteers to serve people in practical ways through the ministry of Love INC. In a time when it can be easy to focus on what divides us, there is something special about seeing what can happen when people bring resources together for the good of their neighbors.
Sometimes it looks like making sure there is enough food — and enough room at the table — for everyone.
To learn more about Love INC of Benton County, visit www.yourloveinc.org.
(Barbara Grant has served as a Love INC board member since 2024).
Clarification, August 17, 2026 1:31 pm: This guest viewpoint was updated to include a reference to the Philomath Community Meal, which was inadvertently omitted from the version originally submitted.
