Missouri Grown

Who We Are and What We Do

Missouri Grown, a program of the Missouri Department of Agriculture, works with farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses to promote local products to local consumers. Our members showcase all aspects of Missouri agriculture, from vegetable farms and beef ranches to processed food producers. We promote Missouri products through a variety of efforts, all which fall within our five key elements: marketing, membership, farm to table, education/outreach and agritourism.

MissouriGrownUSA.com

Farmers Market Produce
Cows in a field
farm to school program (Gardening)

Farm to School

Farm to school (F2S) was initiated through legislation in 2015 and has been implemented throughout the state. The goal of F2S is to connect Missouri farmers and ranchers to schools and serve students and children locally grown products for meals and snacks. Large or small, each F2S activity has value and supports the health and well-being of students and teachers, as well as the livelihood of Missouri family farmers.

The Missouri Grown staff connects Missouri farmers and ranchers to consumers, chefs and food service personnel interested in participating.

Considering Farm to School

  • Check with your current food distributor(s) to see what products they already carry from Missouri farms.
  • Does your budget contain a line item for Missouri grown (local) food purchases?
    • If not, find out who has the authority to adjust the budget and work with them to get administrative approval.
  • Look at your school’s policies/requirements about accepting a new local vendor.
    • Is Good Agriculture Practices (GAP) certification required?
    • Does the vendor need liability insurance? If so, how much?
    • Review procurement methods of micro purchases, small purchases (informal) and competitive bids (formal).
  • Determine the cold storage and freezer capacity to help extend the life of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Implement a Farm to School Program

  • Fill out the school portion of the Request for Information (RFI) document.
  • Send the Letter to Local Vendor, RFI and the Farm Checklist to local farmers/vendors for them to review, fill out and send back by a certain date.
  • Review the information and determine the farmers and vendors that could meet the needs of your school.
  • Contact the farmers and vendors to do a site visit of the farm and review the information for accuracy.
  • Agree to any terms and conditions and complete the Purchase Agreement.

Additional Farm to School Resources

Farmers Markets

The Missouri Grown Farmers' Market Handbook was created to guide you through the process of creating & operating a farmers market and link you to all of the state, federal and local resources and regulations you will need.

Senior & WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Programs

Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program

The Missouri Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) provides benefits to low-income seniors (60 years of age or older). Eligible seniors receive $50 in benefits annually per household, to be used for fresh fruit, vegetables, honey and herbs with authorized farmers. View the Seniors FMNP flyer for details. To see the Code of Federal Regulations, visit: Part 249—Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP)

WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program

The Missouri WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program (WIC FMNP) provides $20 in benefits annually to WIC individuals over 4 months old who reside in a county with a participating WIC agency issuing FMNP benefits. Benefits can be exchanged for fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs with authorized farmers. View the WIC FMNP flyer for details. To see the Code of Federal Regulations, visit: Part 248—WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP)

For more information on the Senior & WIC FMNP, contact Lexi Jose at 573-301-0568 or Alexis.Jose@mda.mo.gov.

Financial Assistance