Protect The Harvest is proud to announce that our founders, Forrest and Charlotte Lucas, were once again sponsors of Missouri Farmers Care Foundation’s Drive to Feed Kids and Hogs for Hunger.
“Forrest and Charlotte Lucas have made an outsized impact in Missouri agriculture through their leadership and generosity,” said Ashley McCarty, Missouri Farmers Care Foundation executive director.
“Protect The Harvest has been a leader in raising awareness and support for agricultural production and protection of rural and agricultural values and way of life. Their generosity through Hogs for Hunger and the Drive to Feed Kids has met needs and brightened the future for Missouri children and families.”
On August 20, 2022, Missouri Farmers Care Foundation and its partners announced that enough resources were raised to provide 2,425,185 meals to help food insecure children across the state of Missouri as a result of their 2022 Drive to Feed Kids.
“Partners in the Drive to Feed Kids generously respond to address the stark reality that 1 in 7 Missouri children regularly face hunger,” said Executive Director of Missouri Farmers Care Foundation Ashley McCarty. “These partners stand in the gap between the productivity of farmers, ranchers and agribusiness providing food, and the disparity of how that abundance ends up on Missourians’ dinner tables. Over 2.4 million days will be brighter for our Missouri neighbors thanks to this outpouring from the heart of Missouri agriculture.”
Governor Mike Parson and First Lady Teresa Parson, along with other elected officials and agricultural leaders, helped pack 300 emergency boxes to help provide nourishment to central Missouri families in need.
Missouri’s agricultural youth programs also partnered with the Drive to Feed Kids to raise meals for communities across the state. Missouri 4-H members donated 264,000 meals during their 4-H “Feeding Missouri” campaign which ran from January through April of 2022 and packed an additional 3,000 meal boxes for veterans at the Missouri State Fair. On August 16, hundreds of Missouri FFA Association member and leaders came together at the Missouri State Fair to pack 152,000 family meals for the Missouri FFA Food Insecurity Day.
Even fairgoers participated by bringing non-perishable food items and monetary donations on Missouri Farmers Care Food Drive $2 Tuesday. Through the generous canned food donation by Woods Supermarket and these events, more than 13, 000 pounds of non-perishable food was donated to local food pantries.
The Drive to Feed Kids campaign is expanding through its partnerships. “Hogs for Hunger” program connects pig farmers, 4-H and FFA exhibitors, and meat processors with local food banks. The partnership of Feeding Missouri and Missouri State Fair, swine exhibitors, producers, and processors provided a whopping 1,378,241 servings of high-quality protein to all six regional food banks.
Food insecurity hits all states and it is an ever-expanding problem in these challenging times. It is gratifying to see how the state of Missouri has stepped up to help its residents. As Acting State Director of Feeding Missouri, Chris Baker said:
“There are thousands of hard-working Missourians who can’t make ends meet and don’t have enough to feed their families. That’s a reality in Missouri,” said Acting State Director of Feeding Missouri Chris Baker. “However, another reality is the heart and commitment of Missouri’s farmers to do all they can to help neighbors in need. The impact of the Drive to Feed Kids campaign is substantial and Missouri’s food banks are truly grateful.”
Protect The Harvest wishes to thank ALL the sponsors, the exhibitors, producers, processors and the agricultural community who generously participated in making the 2022 Missouri Farmers Care Foundation Drive to Feed Kids a huge success.
