TROTWOOD, Ohio — An area farmer is trying something different to fight inflation. He’s starting a charity to get fresh ground beef to families in need. 


What You Need To Know

  • Matthew Keener runs Keener farms just outside of Dayton

  • He recently started a charity to get fresh ground beef to families 

  • He said he's collecting donations to buy cows straight from market that are immediately sent to get processed 

  • The meat will go directly to food banks that help families in need
  • His charity works with "The Foodbank" in Dayton 

Farmer Matthew Keener it's hard to raise cattle and hard to keep up with the rising cost of everything. 

“The high grain costs are then gonna have to go to the cows, pigs and chickens, and turn that into hamburger and meat, so these costs are going to continue to escalate,” said Keener. 

So far, he said they’ve been able to maintain through the price hikes and absorb the extra costs it takes to feed more than 100 cows on his family farm. He runs Keener Farms, near Dayton in Trotwood, but he’s concerned about families who can’t maintain. 

“Anything we can do and give and set a catch net in place to help these people that are falling through the cracks in the next couple months because hard times are coming. They’re not over,” said Keener. 

It’s the reason he started a charity where donations will be turned into meat for families in need. 

“If you donate to the Keener farm charity, it goes to the farmers that are in your area. They will then purchase the cattle from the sale barns, we’re gonna have it processed and give it all of it in hamburger to church pantries and soup kitchens across the state," said Keener.

The Foodbank in Dayton is expected to be the first to get the meat donations and give it to partner agencies across Montgomery, Preble and Greene counties. 

The Foodbank estimates more than 100,000 people are struggling to get food in that area. It’s why Keener hopes to eventually expand. 

“As a community, we need to step in and really start helping,” said Keener. 

For more information about the charity, click here.