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MO Farmers Care’s Drive to Feed Kids expands
The Missouri Farmers Care Foundation is expanding its Drive to Feed Kids program with the Hogs for Hunger initiative.
The initiative calls on pig farmers and 4-H and FFA exhibitors in the state to donate hogs this summer whose meat will go to food insecure Missourians.
Missouri Farmers Care says nearly 320,000 servings of pork were donated by pig farmers last year. The Executive Director of the Missouri Farmers Care Foundation, Ashley McCarty, said she is amazed by last year’s total and more opportunities are being offered for farmers and youth swine exhibitors to get involved this year.
“We’ll be inviting them to make donations of their market animals and Hogs for Hunger and Drive to Feed Kids will pay for processing so that, that meat can be donated locally where it’s needed across the state in our communities,” McCarty said.
McCarty said more than 1.1 million Missourians are food insecure.
She said the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for programs like Hogs for Hunger. But McCarty says state funded meat processing expansions because of the pandemic could also benefit the program.
“There’s still going to be some tight books moving throughout this year for processing,” McCarty said. “But we do see the partnership of the Missouri Association of Meat Processors and meat processors across the state also wanting to do their part and step up and make sure that they can help get this protein where it is most needed.”
Missouri State Fair exhibitors who wish to donate their hogs must indicate so by July 30th through the Missouri Farmers Care Website.
Missouri Farmers Care’s Drive to Feed Kids program is sponsored by Brownfield Ag News, Missouri Farm Bureau, MFA Incorporated, Missouri FFA, Bayer, Missouri State Fair, Missouri Department of Agriculture, Missouri Soybeans, Missouri Corn, 4-H Feeding Missouri and American Family Insurance.
