Burner’s Beef has donated more than a ton of ground beef over three years
By Randy Arrington
LURAY, July 2 — Over the last three years, Jerry Burner has donated more than a ton of premium ground beef to local non-profits like the Page One food bank and the Porch Visits program coordinated through Page Alliance for Community Action and Page County Public Schools.
“When you give to people that need it… I’m not sure that I don’t get more of a return of value than they do because I appreciate being able to help them out and knowing that they get something to eat,” Burner said on Wednesday.
Jerry and his son, Jared, operate Burner’s Beef, established in 2017. Their farm along Mill Creek Crossroads has donated a total of 2,400 pounds of their premium ground beef to feed the less fortunate in the Page Valley. Quarterly donations of 100 pounds each go to the main food bank in the county at Page One (with locations in Luray and Shenandoah), as well as the Porch Visits program in the county.
“When I think about where this is going, particularly today with this Front Porch and Page One, I think they appreciate it and enjoy it, and that is satisfying to us,” Burner said while standing beside this quarter’s installment.
Jerry Burner serves on the Board of Directors of Rockingham Co-Op, which seven years ago started a non-profit organization that benefits both producers and the needy of Shenandoah Valley communities. Since 2018, the Cheese Ministry has delivered more than $1 million of high-quality dairy products to dozens of communities across Virginia. The initial program was so successful, it soon lead to the formation of the Beef Ministry and Pork for the Pantry operating under the same concept through the umbrella organization known as The Farm Ministry.
Three years ago, Burner approached Darrell Hulver, manager of the Page Co-Op, to see if he would join in the effort to feed the needy.
“The Beef Ministry has been going on a number of years before this…and we were in a certain area of Rockingham, and we wanted to expand to like 10 or 11 counties, and we have,” Burner said on Wednesday. “We not only do Page County, we do Warren County…so this was just an automatic, asking Darrell with Page Co-Op if he would come in with us and help expand it into Page County.”
Hulver said the Beef Ministry gives Page Co-Op a way to give back to the community and ensure it’s going to those who truly need it.
“We just think that it’s important…we’ve been fortunate, had a couple of good years and we know there are people less fortunate and we just think this is a great way for us to contribute back to the community, providing the beef to some of these families that need it,” Hulver said at this week’s drop off. “The families are screened some, for the ones that need it the most, and we’re just really happy that we can contribute to that.”
When floods hit Kentucky and North Carolina, The Farm Ministry came to the call and sent supplies and food to the devastated families in those areas. Burner estimated that the non-profit’s giving totaled more than $500,000 that year.
“You’d be surprised at the organizations, and the poultry industry and the turkey industry, how much they have donated to Rockingham Co-Op to spread it around,” Burner said. “It’s just amazing…it’s kinda like a ball rolling down hill, it’s just building up steam.”
Governor Glen Youngkin even joined the effort when he donated his quarterly paycheck from the commonwealth to the Farm Ministry when he visited the Rockingham County Fair last summer.
The non-profit’s first donation effort in Page County came in December of 2021, followed by a second donation the next December. Each time, a key partner has been Burner’s Beef. While the Page County producer is paid for his product, Burner could potentially get more for his meat on the open market. Yet as a member of both neighboring cooperatives, he maintains his partnership with the Beef Ministry because he knows it’s going to help local people.
“This program aligns with our mission by helping those in need in our community grow,” Hulver stated in a previous interview with PVN. “These two organizations fulfill a great need within the Page County community, and we are blessed to be able to help them in their efforts.”
To learn more about the non-profit program visit the The Farm Ministry website.
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