Will purchase pigs at Missouri State Fair for donation to Missouri food banks

Feeding Missouri, the network of Missouri Food Banks, will support the Missouri Farmers Care Foundation’s Drive to Feed Kids by purchasing hogs at the Missouri State Fair for donation to the Hogs for Hunger campaign.

“Missouri’s food banks are experiencing a significant lack of protein and the Hogs for Hunger campaign is a great way to help,” said Scott Baker, state director for Feeding Missouri. “Missouri producers are the best in the world, so to be able to access this quality product as part of this great partnership is truly a blessing. Once again, Missouri farmers are stepping up to help us feed neighbors in need.”

Feeding Missouri will pay Missouri 4-H and FFA exhibitors $0.60 per pound live weight on market hogs committed to the Hogs for Hunger campaign. Commitments to sell pigs to Hogs for Hunger must be made by August 5 at http://mofarmerscare.com/hogs-for-hunger/.

Processing will be covered by the Missouri Farmers Care Foundation and supporters of the Drive to Feed Kids. Pigs committed to Hogs for Hunger at the Missouri State Fair will be granted early release following shows on Friday and Saturday. All pigs must be loaded by 2 p.m. on Saturday Aug. 14. The Missouri State Fair Foundation will transport the pigs to Kempf’s Custom Butchering. The pork will be donated to food insecure Missourians through The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri.

“The Hogs for Hunger effort provides Missouri protein to meet the needs of hungry Missourians,” said Ashley McCarty, executive director of the Missouri Farmers Care Foundation. “We appreciate the long-standing partnership of Feeding Missouri and their support of 4-H and FFA exhibitors wishing to make a difference in the lives of their food insecure neighbors.”

The Drive to Feed Kids first launched in 2017 with a goal of building collaborative partnerships among non-profit organizations, farmers and agricultural businesses committed to addressing food insecurity in Missouri. To learn more about the Drive to Feed Kids and Hogs for Hunger visit www.MOFarmersCare.com/drive.

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Feeding Missouri is a coalition of the six Missouri Food Banks working to provide hunger relief to every county (and St. Louis City) in the state. Collectively, we distribute over 130 million pounds of food each year through a network of more than 1,000 community feeding programs.