A $75,000 in-kind donation from Fairchild Equipment, a leading provider of material handling equipment and engineered storage solutions in the Upper Midwest, is helping strengthen food access across rural North Dakota. Through the Great Plains Food Bank, a commercial walk-in freezer from Fairchild Equipment’s new Moorhead facility has been repurposed, leveraging Fairchild Equipment’s material handling equipment and expertise to safely disassemble, move, and repurpose the asset, to support a regional grocery and local food hub initiative in led by the North Dakota Rural Electric Cooperatives Foundation. The donation includes the value of the freezer unit which is approximately 1,500 square feet, as well as disassembly, shipping, and transportation of the freezer.
“When we realized the walk-in freezer from our new Moorhead facility could serve a greater purpose, donating it to Great Plains Food Bank was an easy decision. We believe supporting one another and working together is how we truly lift our communities. Being active in the communities we serve isn’t just a corporate initiative — it’s a core value that has shaped Fairchild Equipment’s culture for more than 40 years.” said Jeremy Guthmiller, Branch Manager at Fairchild Equipment. “As a material handling partner to food, agriculture, and distribution operations across the region, we understand how important safe, reliable handling of cold‑storage assets is to supporting food systems and the communities that rely on them.”
The freezer will serve as a critical component of a planned regional grocery and local food hub in north-central North Dakota. The hub is designed to help small-town grocery stores stay open, expand access to fresh and affordable foods, and create new market opportunities for local producers.
“The donated walk-in freezer is a critical building block for a regional grocery and local food hub that will strengthen access to fresh, affordable food in rural communities,” said Ellen Huber on behalf of the North Dakota Rural Electric Cooperatives Foundation. “Contributions like this allow us to focus more resources on building a system that helps small-town grocery stores stay open and local producers reach new markets.”
Through this collaboration, Great Plains Food Bank helped bridge a need within the hunger-relief network. The contribution highlights the important role infrastructure and material handling solutions play in strengthening food access, particularly in rural communities where efficient storage and safe material handling are necessary.
“We’re grateful to Fairchild Equipment for their generosity and vision,” shared Kate Molbert, Chief Operating Officer at the Great Plains Food Bank. “This is a powerful example of how businesses and nonprofits can work together to improve food access. There is always a need within the hunger-relief network, and Great Plains Food Bank is proud to help steward and connect resources where they can do the most good.”
The freezer will be put into service once the regional food hub facility becomes operational.
About the Great Plains Food Bank
Now in its 43rd year, the Great Plains Food Bank serves as North Dakota’s only food bank. Its partner network includes 196 food pantries, shelters, soup kitchens, and other charitable feeding programs operating in 100 communities across North Dakota and Clay County, MN. Since 1983, the Great Plains Food Bank, through its array of innovative direct service programs and partner network, have distributed more than 244 million meals to children, seniors, and families in need. The Great Plains Food Bank is a partner food bank of Feeding America, the nation’s food bank network.
