November 11, 2009

Associated Students Inc. vice president Alex Andreotti, left, and President Jessica Sweeten joined university president John D. Welty and Bulldogs Baseball coach Mike Batesole in launching the 2009 Give A Gobbler campaign Nov. 9.

The Give a Gobbler campaign at California State University, Fresno to help feed the area’s hungry during the holidays began with a ceremony  Monday, Nov. 9.

For $25, donors purchase a Fresno State student-produced turkey that is distributed to a family in need during the holidays. This is the third Give a Gobbler season, which is coordinated by the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology and its student-operated Rue and Gwen Gibson Farm Market.

University President John D. Welty, Associated Students Inc. president Jessica Sweeten and representatives of the Community Food Bank and Poverello House kicked off the campaign at 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 9, at the Gibson Farm Market.

Katherine Weakland from the Poverello House speaks at Fresno State's 2009 Give a Gobbler Drive VIEW VIDEO

Give a Gobbler began in 2007 when Fresno State students began a program with Zacky Farms to produce turkeys for sale through the Farm Market. The campaign attracts donations from the campus community and from the general public.

At the launch Monday, Welty announced that this year’s goal is 200 turkeys, half of which will be donated in time for Thanksgiving and the remainder by Christmas.     

“This campus community effort is intended to engage the university’s community service resources for less-fortunate neighbors during these extra-difficult economic times,” Welty said. “We welcome the support and partnership of the community at large.”

He was joined for the launch by Jim Connell, executive director of Poverello House, and Lisa Quiroz, food resource coordinator for the Community Food Bank. Others attending included members of the president’s cabinet, Chris Fiorentino, director of the university’s Jan and Bud Richter Center for Community Engagement and Service-Learning, and Zacky Farms president Richard Zacky and research director, T.C. Tan.

Fresno State baseball coach Mike Batesole also attended the Give A Gobbler launch and announced one innovative way the Bulldogs will be supporting the campaign – the baseball team will use its “kangaroo court” fund to donate for turkeys.

“We fine players for things like being late to meetings and the kangaroo court determines how much they have to pay,” Batesole said. “We want to give back to the community that supports not just the baseball team but all Bulldogs athletics so we will use those funds for the Give A Gobbler campaign.”

The first year of Give a Gobbler, 50 frozen turkeys were used by Poverello House to feed homeless people at its annual Thanksgiving dinner. Last year, 125 Fresno State turkeys were distributed during the holiday season.

The program is propelled by a partnership between Zacky Farms and the Jordan College’s Department of Animal Science that began in 2004. Zacky Farms places 12-24 students in a summer intern program at its downtown Fresno processing plant and other facilities.

Students raise the turkeys on the campus farm under the guidance of faculty members and with financial and technical support from Zacky Farms, where the birds are processed. This year, the Fresno State turkeys sell for $1.19 a pound as they did in 2008. As with all student farm products, proceeds help strengthen Fresno State’s teaching and research programs in agriculture.

Donors can participate in Give a Gobbler at the Gibson Farm Market (Barstow and Chestnut avenues) or by sending a check, payable to CSUF Agricultural Foundation, to: Director, Agricultural Operations, 2385 E. Barstow Ave., AG85, Fresno, CA 93740. Please indicate Poverello House or Community Food Bank as the recipient.  A tax-deduction receipt is available from the nonprofits upon request.  

The Gibson Farm Market, a retail outlet for student-produced Fresno State farm-fresh products, is open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call: 559.278.4511.