Foundation for Food and Farm Connections

Many of our children are not getting enough quality protein. 

The Mo Beef Kids program, a project of the Foundation for Food and Farm Connections, connects schools and foodservice to farm families to provide key nutrients through local beef donations. Students enjoy more beef, more often, and the ten essential nutrients (including power-packed protein) to help fuel and support a healthy lifestyle. 

We are on a mission to get more beef in bellies, by leveraging passionate volunteers, partners and community leaders. 

Today, the program is active in thirty-four counties. An educational component of the program teaches the sourcing of food with an emphasis on recognizing the donor families as well as the journey beef makes from the farm to the lunchroom table. 

To date, 3.2 million lunches have been served since 2017, (when the program was launched by the Missouri Beef Industry Council), and 280,000 in 2022 alone. A leadership and career component aligns with state educational goals to share the steps of beef from farm, to plate. 

The funds raised by A Community Thrives are earmarked for expansion of the program. The mission of the Foundation is to: Empower communities and students K-12, by expanding nutrient-rich beef in the school lunch program and nurture partnerships to support local food sourcing and nutrition education for communities in need. There are many communities still in need in Missouri, and beyond. The primary goal of this proposal is to develop a partner engagement lead that will garner local and regional partnerships to establish a more effective network able to support  growth of the program. This key associate will be seeking out partnerships with current county, regional and state organizations who share a similar mission.