Joliet food bank donates meat waste to Lockport wildlife ranch

A partnership between a Joliet food bank and a federally licensed Lockport nonprofit minimizes food waste and feeds rescued wildlife.

For at least 15 years, the South Suburban Center of the Northern Illinois Food Bank has donated its meat and fish waste to Big Run Wolf Ranch, an educational facility specializing in North American wildlife.

Rainah Runty, ranch manager, said each month a ranch representative typically picks up two large, pallet-sized containers of meat and fish – approximately two to four tons – from the South Suburban Center, approximately two to four tons each month. And the donation is a huge help.

“My father always said if we had to purchase all this meat for the animals, we probably would not stay in business,” Runty said.

Runty’s father John Basile founded Big Run Wolf Ranch 38 years ago, she said.

The donated meat is then stored in different freezer to feed 16 rescued wildlife for the month, Runty said. The wolves, tiger, cougar and lynx eat the chicken, turkey, beef and also pork (depending on the animal), Runty said.

The 25-year-old black bear Kuma gets the fish, she said.

The amount of meat the animals need depends on the animal, Runty said. Typically the animals eat less in summer and more in winter, she saim. For instance, the tiger eats 18 to 23 pounds of meat at one time, Runty said.

In addition to the meat from the food bank, local hunters also provide “fresh venison and even fish,” Runty said. But most of the meat does come from the food bank, she added.

“My father always said if we had to purchase all this meat for the animals, we probably would not stay in business.”

—  Rainah Runty, ranch manager, Big Run Wolf Ranch in Locport

“All the meat they supply has really helped us keep going and keep educating people on the animals that we have,” Runty said.

Practicing sustainability

The Northern Illinois Food Bank recovers more than 30 million pounds of food “that would otherwise go to waste,” according to a news release from the Northern Illinois Food Bank.

But invariably, some scraps do remain and the food bank makes every effort to use those, too.

For instance, vegetable scraps are turned into compost, as is “food that is unsafely past its prime, shows signs of decay, or is in damaged packaging,” according to the release. In some cases, the food scraps are sent to “farms and animal sanctuaries,” according to the release.

The Northern Illinois Food Bank also “sorts and recycles” cardboard, glass, metal and plastic, according to the release.

“Concern for the environment and reducing food waste are integral to our sustainability plan, which includes recycling, food waste diversion, composting, and recovery,” Chris Gillette, director of food operations, said in the release.

Steve Harold, processing coordinator at the South Suburban Center, said the relationship with Big Run Wolf Ranch is “a great thing.”

“We’re fulfilling an obligation of sustainability with the animal life that’s here in our Chicagoland area,” Harold said.

Harold said before the South Suburban Center opened in 2018, Big Run Wolf Ranch staff was picking up the meat waste from Geneva. So to save ranch staff miles and time, the pickup was transferred to Joliet, Harold said.

The meat that Northern Illinois Food Bank distributes comes from partner groceries store chains, Harold said. Store staff pull meat at the expiration date and then freeze it, Harold said. Drivers then pick up the meat and bring it to the food centers.

Volunteers then sort through the meat in two-hour shifts, looking for signs that the meat should not be distributed to people, Harold said. These signs may include discoloration or ripped packaging, Harold said.

“Any packages that are open are discarded,” Harold said.

Some meat that isn’t safe for human consumption is still safe for wildlife, Harold said.

“It’s just another part of the circle of the whole process,” Harold said, “making sure nothing goes to waste.”