Making Animal Protein Accessible to Food Pantries with Danny Leckie

The Intentional Agribusiness Leader Podcast

Danny Leckie leads a national not for profit, HATCH, that is focused on being the most reliable source of animal protein to hunger relief organizations nationwide. Serving 33 states and 86 food banks HATCH is bringing in a new era of nutrition security. Prior to his time at HATCH, Danny held roles in sales, marketing and product management at Corteva Agriscience. He is a husband, father to 3 children, and avid golfer.

In this captivating episode of the Intentional Agribusiness Leader podcast, host Mark is joined by the dynamic Danny Leckie from Hatch for Hunger. The conversation dives into the heart of food inequity and the significant role agriculture plays in feeding the world. Leckie shares inspiring insights on how his organization is overcoming challenges to deliver millions of meals across the nation.

From the founder's story to the strategies that make Hatch for Hunger a success, this episode offers a rare look into the logistics and intentions behind running a non-profit. Leckie's innovative approach has led to improved efficiency and effectiveness in feeding hungry families, coupled with an ethos of rewarding talent and promoting growth within his team.

Key Takeaways:

• Hatch for Hunger's mission focuses on reliably providing animal protein to food pantries across the country, having contributed to over 72 million meals last year.
• Cold storage is a significant hurdle for food pantries; Hatch for Hunger addresses this gap by providing coolers through partnerships.
• Leckie emphasizes the importance of intention in leadership, turning good ideas into executed plans with real-world impact.
• The organization operates with a business-like efficiency, with a goal to have most of its protein acquired through purchases to support farmers—donations then go entirely towards the mission.
• Danny advocates for agriculture businesses to join forces in mitigating food insecurity by contributing resources such as sponsoring cold storage solutions for food pantries.

Notable Quotes:

• "Never waste a good crisis." - Reflecting on leveraging adversity for organizational growth during the avian influenza outbreak.
• "What would you do if you knew you could not fail?" - Capturing the spirit of innovation and fearless execution within Hatch for Hunger.
• "These are people much like yourself, Mark, who if you didn't have that opportunity, who knows where you would be today? You're changing the trajectory of lives through animal protein." - Leckie discussing the impact of providing nutritious food on future generations.

Dive into the full episode to explore Danny Leckie's valuable work with Hatch for Hunger and how intentional agriculture leadership is making strides in fighting food insecurity. Stay tuned for more insightful discussions on the Intentional Agribusiness Leader podcast.