MFA supports efforts to close Missouri’s meal gap through 2024 Drive to Feed Kids

Missouri Farmers Care, agricultural leaders and partners—including MFA Incorporated—joined together for the 2024 Drive to Feed Kids, which culminated Saturday, Aug. 17, at the Missouri State Fair.

In total, resources for 711,000 meals were raised for Feeding Missouri in the year-long campaign. Over the past eight years, this collaborative partnership has raised resources to provide more than 13 million meals for children and families across the state.

“Farmers and ranchers work 365 days a year to responsibly and sustainably produce abundance from our farms and ranches,” said Ashley McCarty, Missouri Farmers Care Foundation executive director. “The Drive to Feed Kids addresses the disparities where that abundance doesn’t reach our neighbors’ dinner tables.”

Food insecurity affects one in seven Missouri children and increases to one in three kids in some rural parts of the state. 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 this issue. 

Donations are distributed statewide through Feeding Missouri, representing the state’s six regional food banks.

During Missouri FFA’s Day of Service on Aug. 13 at the State Fair, 725 FFA members from 88 Missouri chapters packed more than 193,000 meals for families in need. In addition, fairgoers contributed non-perishable food items and monetary donations during Missouri Farmers Care’s $2 Tuesday, and Missouri FFA donated fresh produce from student projects on display.

MFA Incorporated CEO Ernie Verslues, Executive Secretary Pam Hiller, CFO Karen White and Director of Agronomy Doug Spaunhorst joined other agricultural leaders and elected officials to pack meal boxes on Governor’s, Legislators’ and Judges’ Day on Aug. 15. These efforts resulted in donations equating to nearly 53,366 meals.

Food banks consistently report that protein is the most requested item for families. Through the drive’s Hogs for Hunger initiative, swine exhibitors and producers were invited to commit pigs to feed neighbors in need. Exhibitors and producers donated 16,484 servings of pork this year.

“Our six food banks are working tirelessly to ensure that no child in our state needs to wonder where their next meal will come from,” said Heather Hargrove, executive director of Feeding Missouri. “However, rising food prices are making it harder for families to put food on the table. To ensure our network can continue providing hunger relief to these programs, our food banks rely on partnerships and initiatives like Missouri Farmers Care and the Drive to Feed Kids to keep our shelves stocked.”

The state fair capped off the 2024 campaign that included other partnerships with agricultural youth programs. This spring, the 4-H Feeding Missouri initiative provided 291,735 meals, and Missouri 4-H clubs and FFA chapters statewide expanded their local impact with another 21,709 meals through matching mini-grants awarded by the MFC Foundation.

 Visit www.MOFarmersCare.com/drive to learn more about Drive to Feed Kids, including how to be involved in 2025.

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