Today, Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson joined Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., the nation’s largest producer and marketer of shell eggs, as the company donated 280,800 eggs to Extra Table to assist families during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There is no better way to recognize National Egg Month and to honor our farmers and food workers who have continued to work through the pandemic than with this donation of over a quarter million eggs that will go to those that need them the most. I want to thank Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. for their generosity and for making this possible, and I appreciate the Mississippi Food Network and Extra Table for getting these eggs into the hands of those in our local communities,” said Commissioner Gipson.
The donation to Extra Table will go to helping Mississippi families during the COVID-19 pandemic. Extra Table is a non-profit organization committed to ending hunger by providing food pantries and soup kitchens with the new and healthy food they need to feed the hungry in their community.
“What an EGGciting donation to receive at a time when our hungry neighbors here in Mississippi need food,” said Martha Allen, Executive Director of Extra Table. “At Extra Table, we know eggs are a family favorite for breakfast, but eggs are also the glue that holds much of what we eat together, from brownies to meatloaf. With a 30-50% increase in requests for food at food pantries and soup kitchens across Mississippi, we know these Cal-Maine protein packed eggs will be a delicious and nutritious treat for someone unsure of where their next meal will come from. With great gratitude, Extra Table accepts this donation.”
Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. is the largest producer and marketer of shell eggs in the United States and is based in Jackson, Miss. Cal-Maine operates a total flock of approximately 40.1 million layers and 9.9 million pullets and breeders and is the largest in the U.S. In 2019, Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. sold approximately 1,038.9 million dozen shell eggs.
“At Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., our roots are firmly planted in Mississippi, and we are proud to help support our fellow Mississippians in this unprecedented time. The people of our state have experienced natural disasters and the effects of a world-wide pandemic, and a lot of people need help. We are proud to make this donation to the Mississippi Food Network and Extra Table. May is National Egg Month, and we are proud to help celebrate that with donations in many states,” said Ryn Laster, Director of Food Safety and Animal Welfare of Cal-Maine Foods.
“We appreciate Cal-Maine’s partnership in feeding people in our state who may not know where their next meal is coming from, many of them for the first time,” said Charles Beady, CEO of the Mississippi Food Network. “This donation will help provide a nutritious protein food item to people in the communities served by our member agencies.”
The Mississippi Food Network, whose mission is to relieve poverty-related hunger in the area by distributing donated and purchased food and grocery products through a network of member churches and non-profit organizations, will facilitate the donation.
Visit IncredibleEgg.org for more information about eggs.
Press Release
5/20/2020
