A decade of leadership, unity, and over 250,000 meals packed at the Missouri State Fair to fight food insecurity across the state.
“It’s more than a food drive. It’s more than a tradition. We are building a legacy of unity,” reflects Mr. Keith Dietzschold, recently retired Missouri FFA Advisor. For a decade, Keith has shepherded the FFA Day of Service: a signature Missouri State Fair event that brings FFA members together to fight food insecurity through Missouri Farmers Care’s Drive to Feed Kids. This year, more than 800 Missouri FFA members packed 252,564 meals for Missourians in need in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. Keith believes this tradition has never been a measurement of meals.
The BIG Thing: More Than Meals
“FCS Financial makes it possible for the Drive to Feed Kids to gain momentum year after year. This activity brings the great people of Missouri agriculture together, and that unity is what sustains the Day of Service. The partnership embodies Missouri FFA’s ‘Living to Serve’ motto. We are raising awareness about food insecurity across Missouri together,” says Dietzschold.
Missouri agriculture’s unity is building a legacy that the next generation sees as they learn to recognize and respond to food insecurity. The Drive represents a commitment to get Missouri agriculture’s abundance to every plate.
“When agriculture leaders, state leaders, legislators, State Fair Commissioners, sponsors, and so many more special guests work elbow to elbow with our FFA kids for hours, their hearts are warmed and filled.”
— Mr. Keith Dietzschold, Retired Missouri FFA Advisor
Hands-On Leadership & Behind-the-Scenes Logistics
Guests at the event see hundreds of FFA members working with enthusiasm on a project that serves Missourians in need. “Those guests are blown away; they tell their colleagues who want to see it to believe it. Each time the event grows, we welcome new partners and find more great people in Missouri agriculture that want to help. FFA members share that they packed meals next to a commissioner, legislator, or donor. It allows these kids to see that our leaders are real people. Day of Service gives our FFA members hands-on experience and confidence; it sparks their interest to return home and find ways to serve their communities,” Keith shares.
When asked about the biggest challenge, Keith quickly responds: “Logistics. The biggest challenges are details people can’t see—product delivery, workspace, registration, financial resources, and moving hundreds of FFA members on a tight time schedule: these things take a year of planning. Even after a decade, we are still improving.”
“Missouri FFA’s partnership with Missouri Farmers Care has been critical to successful logistics every year. State Fair staff open doors, literally and figuratively, and graciously amplify the success of our event.”
Far-Reaching, Long-Lasting Impacts
An original goal of the project was to inspire local food security projects. In 2020, that goal materialized through the Drive Mini-Grant program. These grants empower FFA members to design local food security solutions. This year alone, the Drive invested $15,500 in local food security projects through FFA, 4-H, and CTE grants.
Held during the Missouri State Fair—our state’s 11-day celebration of excellence in agriculture—the event aligns directly with the Fair’s mission of cultivating future leaders. The food security awareness message is amplified across the fairgrounds on annual tee-shirts worn by participating FFA members. “FFA Day of Service would never happen without an army of volunteers and supporters, names that we will never see on the tee-shirts the kids get to wear,” Keith shares.
“What began as an opportunity to serve has grown into a powerful Missouri agriculture tradition that reaches far beyond meals. Mr. D. has helped a generation of FFA members experience service to others, while uniting Missouri agriculture around a critical need. The legacy of the Day of Service is measured in the young people inspired to go home and make a difference in their own communities.”
— Ashley McCarty, Executive Director of Missouri Farmers Care Foundation
ℹ️ Program & Partner Initiatives
Launched in 2017, the Drive to Feed Kids builds collaborative partnerships among nonprofits, farmers, and agribusinesses committed to addressing food insecurity across Missouri. To learn more or get involved, visit mofarmerscare.com/drive/
An initiative of MFC’s Drive to Feed Kids where one pig can feed 525 Missourians in need. Donors receive a $200 stipend provided by the Missouri Farmers Care Foundation and Drive partners. Learn more at mofarmerscare.com/hogs-for-hunger/
Missouri Farmers Care is a coalition of over 40 leading agricultural groups standing together to promote Missouri agriculture. The Missouri Farmers Care Foundation serves as the centralized hub for unified educational programs, awards, and hunger relief efforts. Learn more at mofarmerscare.com
🤝 Powered by Partnership
The Missouri FFA Day of Service is hosted by the Missouri FFA Association, Missouri Farmers Care, and the Missouri State Fair, presented by Brownfield Ag News and ADM. The 2026 Drive to Feed Kids is made possible through generous support from: ADM, Brownfield Ag News, American Family Insurance, Missouri FQHC Rural Health Network, Show-Me America 250, Nutra-Blend, MFA Incorporated, FCS Financial, Missouri Corn Merchandising Council, The Poultry Federation, Jerry Litton Family Memorial Foundation, Smithfield Foods, Missouri Farm Bureau, Martin Rice, Missouri FFA Foundation, Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council, Hunter’s Moon Run N Gun, Home State Health, Missouri's Electric Cooperatives, PivotBio, Beck’s Hybrids, Missouri 4-H Foundation, Missouri Pork, and the Missouri State Fair Foundation.
Supporting Missouri's Agricultural Legacy
FCS Financial is proud to stand alongside Missouri youth, agricultural leaders, and community partners to strengthen our rural communities.
