News Release

To celebrate National Agriculture Week, March 18-24, 2018, the Department of Agriculture has planned an activity for each of the four MORE pillars. Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn announced the MORE strategic vision last May and since then has been striving to feed MORE, reach MORE, connect MORE and empower MORE, all with the underlying goal to improve the quality of life for all Missourians.

“For most of us in the industry, agriculture is a personal thing. It’s a passion we’ve had since we were young, and a legacy we want to pass on to the next generation,” Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn said. “We want every Missourian to be able to connect personally with food, fuel, fiber and forestry, because it is part of each of our lives, in big and small ways, every day. We hope this statewide celebration is one that encourages growth, investment and trust in agriculture.”

The Department has planned the following activities:

• feed MORE: The Department will host a food drive and give back to food insecure in the state. All food and monetary donations will be distributed to Missouri’s six food banks through Feeding Missouri to help combat hunger.
• reach MORE: Department employees will be submitting photos as part of the "Show Me YOUR Ag" employee photo contest. The photos will demonstrate our staff’s pride in agriculture, and show their passion for the industry. The vast majority of employees have a personal connection to agriculture outside of it solely being their job; these photos will show that connection. A handful of submissions will be shared on social media to highlight the agriculture team who serves Missouri’s farmers, ranchers and citizens.
• connect MORE: The lack of high speed internet can be a hurdle for any business. The Department will unveil on social media a video featuring Meagan Kaiser, soil scientist and chief operating officer at Perry Agricultural Laboratory. Perry Agricultural Laboratory provides soil testing and fertilizer prescriptions for producers to help their operation achieve maximum efficiency. Kaiser outlines some of the challenges she faces in their business because of the lack of rural broadband.
• empower MORE: The Department’s efforts to cut red tape began last summer, and now it is time for phase two of the initiative. The Department has proposed the elimination of 1,201 restrictions, a reduction of 25 percent, and will launch a new proposed rule web page that will, for the first time, allow users to provide written comments online. This web page will list each proposed change/amendment/rescission with a link to fiscal notes, the Missouri Register, reference materials and important dates. Once launched, visit the Department’s proposed rules page here: http://agriculture.mo.gov/proposed-rules/

To follow along, connect with the Department on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Updates will be posted throughout the week. Use the hashtag #NationalAgWeek to join in the conversation.

Missouri agriculture is an $88.4 billion industry and is part of every county in the state. The state consistently ranks in the top 10 in many major commodities: hogs, beef cows, cotton, rice, goats, corn, soybeans, forest products, turkeys and broiler chickens. Outside of production agriculture, the Show Me State is home to the Animal Health Corridor and recognized by many as the ag tech capital of the world. A variety of large agribusinesses have chosen to locate their headquarters in Missouri, recognizing the critical mass of agriculture innovation and excellence. To see more Missouri ag highlights, visit http://agriculture.mo.gov/topcommodities.php.

To learn more about the Missouri Department of Agriculture, go to Agriculture.Mo.Gov.