Missouri agriculture leaders and elected officials joined together at the Missouri State Fair on Thursday, Aug. 17 to stand in the gap for those facing hunger in our state. Food insecurity affects one in seven Missouri children. According to Feeding Missouri, this number increases to up to one in three kids in rural parts of the state. Missouri agriculture has banded together to combat these statistics through the Missouri Farmers Care (MFC) Drive to Feed Kids campaign. Over the past seven years, this collaborative partnership has raised resources to feed over eleven million hungry children across the state.
“Farmers and ranchers work 365 days a year to produce abundance from our farms and ranches,” said Ashley McCarty, MFCF executive director. “The Drive to Feed Kids addresses disconnects where that abundance doesn’t reach our neighbors’ dinner tables. We are honored to again partner with Missouri agriculture, elected leaders, Feeding Missouri and the state’s six food banks to make a positive impact in the lives of our food insecure neighbors.”
Partnering with Missouri Farmers Care, Feeding Missouri and The Foodbank for Central and Northeast Missouri, leaders packed Share Boxes which will provide emergency food assistance to neighbors in need. This week’s activities built on a year-long effort to address the needs of our food insecure neighbors. The 2023 Drive to Feed Kids kicked off in January with the 4-H Feeding Missouri initiative. Missouri 4-H members raised 711,268 meals through events in their communities. On Tuesday, Aug. 15, more than 900 FFA members and agriculture leaders packed over 160,000 meals on Missouri Farmers Care Food Drive $2 Tuesday.
"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."
Food banks consistently report that protein is the most requested item for families. Through the partnership’s Hogs for Hunger initiative, swine exhibitors and producers are invited to commit pigs to feed neighbors in need. Exhibitors and producers donated 33,371 servings of pork in 2023. Drive to Feed Kids donations are distributed through Feeding Missouri, the association of Missouri’s six regional food banks.
Fairgoers participated in the Missouri Farmers Care Food Drive Day at the Missouri State Fair by bringing non-perishable food donations. For the State Fair’s Can Creation Contest, teams used canned food items donated by Woods Supermarket. Through these activities, thousands of pounds of non-perishable food was donated to local pantries. In addition, Missouri FFA donated fresh produce from FFA student projects on display at the fair.
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 Missouri Farmers Care Foundation, the Drive to Feed Kids, and Hogs for Hunger visit www.MOFarmersCare.com/drive.
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.
