SEDALIA – At the 2025 Missouri State Fair, agricultural leaders, FFA and 4-H members, elected officials, and partners celebrated the conclusion of the Drive to Feed Kids by announcing that this year’s effort raised over 720,000 meals for Missouri families. With food insecurity affecting one in five Missouri children, the Missouri Farmers Care Foundation Drive to Feed Kids brings together agriculture and community partners to change that reality. Since its launch nine years ago, the initiative has provided more than 13.7 million meals to children and families across the state.
“Farmers and ranchers dedicate their lives to feeding people, and the Drive to Feed Kids bridges the gap so that commitment reaches Missouri families who need it most,” says Ashley McCarty, Executive Director of Missouri Farmers Care. “Hunger shouldn’t stand in the way of a child’s future. Together with our partners in agriculture, business, and community leadership, we are proud to bring hope and nourishment from fields and pastures across Missouri to our neighbors facing need.”
This year’s activities at the fair capped a year-long effort to meet the needs of food-insecure Missourians. Missouri youth programs again played a leading role:
• Missouri FFA members packed 177,000 family meals during the FFA Day of Service on Aug. 12 at the State Fair and donated fresh produce grown in student projects displayed at the fair. • 4-H clubs, FFA chapters, and collegiate groups statewide expanded their local impact by providing 97,000 meals through matching grants from the Missouri Farmers Care Foundation. • Fairgoers also contributed to the effort through $2 Tuesday at the Fair, donating non-perishable food and funds equivalent to 49,000 meals.
“Missouri agriculture is about more than crops and livestock—it’s about people,” said Governor Mike Kehoe. “The Missouri Farmers Care Foundation Drive to Feed Kids opens the door for Missourians to make a difference in the fight against hunger, and Missouri FFA and Missouri 4-H members are leading the way. Every meal packed and every food item donated is proof that the next generation isn’t waiting to make a difference, they’re making it happen today. Claudia and I are proud to join these leaders to make an impact and work toward a stronger, healthier Missouri.”
Protein remains the most requested item by Missouri food banks. Through the Hogs for Hunger initiative, swine exhibitors and producers generously committed enough pork to provide 27,500 servings this year. Drive to Feed Kids donations are distributed statewide through Feeding Missouri, the association of the state’s six regional food banks.
“When a child is hungry, everything becomes harder — it steals focus from the classroom, energy from play, and peace from home. In these uncertain times, more Missouri families are facing that painful truth,” says Leigh Anne Haun, Executive Director of Feeding Missouri. “For 1 in 5 kids, the question of when they’ll eat next is far too real. But in the heart of Missouri’s rural and farming communities, one thing remains constant: people show up for one another. Thanks to our partnership with Missouri Farmers Care, food banks can continue meeting children with the food — and the hope — they deserve.”
The Missouri Farmers Care Foundation Drive to Feed Kids is presented in partnership with ADM and Brownfield Ag News. Partners across Missouri agriculture make the Drive to Feed Kids possible: ADM, Brownfield Ag News, American Family Insurance and the American Family Dreams Foundation, Nutra-Blend, MFA Incorporated, The Poultry Federation, Missouri Corn Merchandising Council, FCS Financial, Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council, Missouri Farm Bureau, Jerry Litton Family Memorial Foundation, Martin Rice, Missouri FFA Foundation, Forrest and Charlotte Lucas & Lucas Cattle Company, Smithfield Foods, Missouri Pork Association, Missouri’s Electric Cooperatives, Missouri State Fair Foundation, Midwest Dairy, Empower Missouri, Missouri 4-H Foundation, and partners the Missouri Department of Agriculture, Missouri State Fair, Feeding Missouri and the contributions of many Missouri farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses. The 2025 Drive concluded Saturday, Aug. 16, at the Missouri State Fair with the announcement of 720,000 meals raised for Feeding Missouri. Photos from this year’s Drive to Feed Kids events are available on the Missouri Farmers Care Flickr page.
Launched in 2017, the Drive to Feed Kids builds collaborative partnerships among nonprofits, farmers, and agribusinesses committed to addressing food insecurity across the state. To learn more, including how to get involved in 2026, visit www.MOFarmersCare.com/drive. |