JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. –Missouri Farmers Care, agricultural leaders, and partners joined together at the Missouri State Fair to capstone the 2023 Drive to Feed Kids. The effort to stand in the gap for those facing hunger in our state raised 1,200,389 million meals. Food insecurity affects one in seven Missouri children and increases to up to one in three kids in some rural parts of the state. Missouri agriculture has banded together to take action to help change this reality through the Missouri Farmers Care Drive to Feed Kids campaign. Over the past eight years, this collaborative partnership has raised resources to provide over twelve million meals for children and families across the state.
Hogs For Hunger contributor, Greenley Curtis of Thompson, MO, poses with her market barrow that she committed to Hogs For Hunger. Through the commitment of youth exhibitors and pig farmers, over 33,000 servings of pork were provided to food banks through the program this year.
“Farmers and ranchers work 365 days a year to responsibly and sustainably produce abundance from our farms and ranches,” said Ashley McCarty, MFCF executive director. “The Drive to Feed Kids addresses the disparities where that abundance doesn’t reach our neighbors’ dinner tables. We are honored to again partner with Missouri agriculture, agribusiness, elected leaders and Feeding Missouri to make a positive impact in the lives of our food insecure neighbors.”
These activities were the capstone of the year-long effort to meet the needs of food insecure Missourians. Missouri’s agricultural youth programs once again partnered with the Drive to raise meals in communities across the state. Missouri 4-H members raised resources to provide 711,286 meals during the 4-H Feeding Missouri campaign this spring. During Missouri FFA Day of Service on Aug. 15, hundreds of Missouri FFA Association members and agricultural leaders came together at the Missouri State Fair to pack 160,000 family meals. Missouri 4-H clubs and FFA chapters statewide expanded their local impact through matching mini-grants provided by the Drive.
Missouri Farmers Care Drive to Feed Kids culminated Saturday, Aug. 19, at the Missouri State Fair. Through the Drive to Feed Kids, Missouri agriculture provided a total of 1,200,389 meals for Missouri families facing food insecurity. Missouri Farmers Care Drive to Feed Kids is presented in partnership with ADM and Brownfield Ag News with support from American Family Insurance, Feeding Missouri, the Missouri State Fair, Missouri FFA, Missouri 4-H and MU Extension, Missouri Department of Agriculture, along with many organizations and individuals across Missouri agriculture.
“The number of Missourians, and specifically children, living in food-insecure households is growing due to several factors.” said Heather Hargrove with Feeding Missouri. “We are grateful to have the continued commitment of the agriculture community. This partnership helps ensure children in Missouri have access to the nutritious food necessary to succeed during the school year.”
Fairgoers participated in the Missouri Farmers Care $2 Tuesday at the Missouri State Fair by bringing non-perishable food items and monetary donations. Missouri FFA donated fresh produce from FFA student projects on display at the fair. Missouri’s elected and agricultural leaders packed meal boxes on Governor’s, Legislators’ and Judges’ Day. Through all of these efforts, resources for 60,900 meals were donated.
The Missouri Farmers Care Drive to Feed Kids is made possible by: ADM, Brownfield Ag News, American Family Insurance, MFA Incorporated, FCS Financial, NutraBlend, Missouri Corn Merchandising Council, American Family Dreams Foundation, Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council, Missouri Farm Bureau, Martin Rice, Missouri FFA Foundation, Jerry Litton Family Memorial Foundation, Missouri State Fair Foundation, Missouri Pork Association, Missouri’s Electric Cooperatives, Forrest and Charlotte Lucas – founders of Protect the Harvest, Midwest Dairy, Professional Pet Association, Missouri Department of Agriculture, Missouri State Fair, Missouri FFA, Feeding Missouri, Missouri 4-H and University of Missouri Extension, benevolent individuals and the contributions of Missouri farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses.
Missouri agricultural leaders and elected officials joined in the effort on Thurs., Aug. 17 by packing 3,000 meals in partnership with Feeding Missouri and The Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri.
The year-long campaign concluded Saturday, Aug. 19 at the Missouri State Fair with the announcement of the total impact of 1,200,389 meals raised for Feeding Missouri. Photos from this year’s Drive to Feed Kids’ events can be found on the Missouri Farmers Care Flickr page. The Drive to Feed Kids was launched in 2017, with the goal of building collaborative partnerships among non-profit organizations, farmers and agricultural businesses committed to addressing food insecurity in Missouri. To learn more about Drive to Feed Kids, including how to be involved in 2024, visit www.MOFarmersCare.com/drive.
The seventh annual Missouri FFA Food Insecurity Day was held Tuesday, Aug. 15, at the Missouri State Fair in partnership with the Missouri Farmers Care Drive to Feed Kids. Together, hundreds of FFA members and agricultural leaders packed 160,000 family meals to feed families in need. The meals were distributed to Missouri’s regional food banks across the state through a partnership with Feeding Missouri.
MISSOURI FARMERS CARE FOUNDATION
Missouri Farmers Care Foundation enables Missourians to understand the influence and importance of agriculture in their daily lives by serving as the centralized hub of the unified educational programs, awards, and hunger relief efforts of Missouri’s agricultural community. www.MOFarmersCare.com
MISSOURI FARMERS CARE
Missouri Farmers Care is a joint effort by Missouri’s agriculture community to stand together for the men and women who provide the food and jobs on which our communities depend. The coalition of more than 40 leading Missouri agricultural groups promotes the growth of Missouri agriculture and rural communities through coordinated communication, education and advocacy. www.MOFarmersCare.com