JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri 4-H and FFA swine exhibitors have an opportunity to change the lives of their friends and classmates who don’t have enough to eat. Missouri Farmers Care Foundation’s (MFCF) Drive to Feed Kids invites swine exhibitors to pledge hogs this summer to feed hungry Missourians through Hogs for Hunger.
One in seven Missouri children are food insecure, facing uncertainty as to where their next meal may come from. Food insecurity in childhood is especially concerning as it is highly correlated with poor academic performance, developmental delays, chronic illness, and even early death in adulthood.
“It is fulfilling to see the heart of Missouri agriculture expressed by Missouri youth providing much-needed, high-quality protein to hungry Missourians,” said Ashley McCarty, executive director of Missouri Farmers Care Foundation. “Food banks consistently report that protein is the most requested, and hardest to procure, item in food banks. Missouri youth are poised to step up and make a difference.”
There are two paths for swine producers and exhibitors to make a difference this summer through the Drive to Feed Kids Hogs for Hunger: in their local community or at the Missouri State Fair.
For pigs donated in local communities, processing spots are booked by exhibitors at USDA or state inspected lockers throughout the state. MFCF will reimburse producers and exhibitors $1.25 per pound, up to $125 in processing costs per donation. Exhibitors coordinate pork donations with a Feeding Missouri food bank of choice. State and USDA inspected lockers and Feeding Missouri partnering food pantries can be found on the Hogs for Hunger checklist at: http://mofarmerscare.com/hogs-
MFCF will also accept 50 pigs at the 2023 Missouri State Fair. Feeding Missouri will provide Missouri 4-H and FFA exhibitors with an $0.80-per-pound live weight stipend on market hogs committed to Hogs for Hunger. All processing costs will be covered by MFCF. Missouri 4-H and FFA students should indicate their willingness to pledge their hogs at www.MoFarmersCare.com/drive. Hogs will be released early on Saturday, Aug. 12, processed at Kempf’s Custom Butchering, and donated to The Foodbank for Central and Northeast Missouri, which serves 32 Missouri counties.
The Missouri Farmers Care Drive to Feed Kids is made possible by: Brownfield Ag News, ADM, American Family Insurance, MFA Incorporated, FCS Financial, Nutra Blend, Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council, Missouri Corn Merchandising Council, American Family Dreams Foundation, Missouri Farm Bureau, the Missouri State Fair Foundation, Missouri Pork Association, Professional Pet Association, Jerry Litton Family Memorial Foundation, Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives, Forrest and Charlotte Lucas – Founders of Protect the Harvest, Missouri Department of Agriculture, Missouri State Fair, Missouri FFA Foundation, Feeding Missouri, Missouri 4-H, benevolent individuals and the contributions of Missouri farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses.
— Missouri Farmers Care
