[El Dorado Springs, MO] Strengthening the operations and policy voices of family farm businesses statewide is the focus of a new $666,995 Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH) grant to rural community development organization New Growth. With offices in Appleton City, Bolivar, and El Dorado Springs, Missouri, New Growth builds small farms, small businesses, and small communities with innovative resources and programs.
New Growth will team up with three partners over the two-year course of the grant to build a statewide coalition empowering family farmers and strengthen the business and marketing capacity of Missouri farm enterprises serving local and regional food markets.
With partner Missouri Farmers Union, New Growth will hire a Programs and Policy Director to strengthen representation of family farm interests. Additional partners The Kansas City Food Hub and mid-Missouri’s Three Creeks Farm will collaborate on building networks of farms working together to pool products and accomplish distribution needed to serve strong and growing market demand for fresh and local foods.
Challenge: Corporate Control
Building more local control over food production and markets is the purpose of the MFH-funded project Building Food Justice for Farmers and Food Producers. The statewide team will focus on policy and market changes that can make it easier for consumers and communities to connect with and buy from neighboring, independent food producers (defined as small farms with less than $500,000 in annual sales).
The collaborative project will focus on several initiatives: 1) A $75,000 capacity building mini-grant program for farm businesses 2) Targeted policy advocacy that supports family farms and local markets 3) Advancing farmer centered distribution systems and markets that work for small to medium size farms 4) Strengthening the Missouri Farmers Union, a century old organization that fights for the viability of family farms.
“In addition to business and market development, this work requires state and federal policy that is supportive of family farms and local foods, because most current policy supports large corporate control of the food system,” said Katie Nixon, director of New Growth’s Food Systems Program. “Our team will help build up Missouri’s innovative small farm businesses and make sure their voices and priorities are heard in Jefferson City and Washington, D.C.”
Decline and Resurgence
Family farms in Missouri have declined drastically over the years, but a resurgence is also underway.
Although Missouri lost 18% of its total farms between 2002 and 2022, the USDA Census of Agriculture also shows growing numbers of small farms, including beginning farmers, at the same time that larger farms are growing.
Missouri’s larger farms generally supply non-food commodity markets, such as corn and soybeans for livestock feed or fuel. Those farming 2,000 acres or more increased 45% from 2002 to 2022.
At the same time, however, the Census shows a 40% increase in the number of existing and beginning farms with less than 10 acres. Smaller farms are typically in the business of supplying local and regional food markets with a diverse range of fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy. Missouri’s average farm size is around 300 acres.
Greater Representation
Smaller farms are the innovators and risk takers leading the way in development of local and regional food businesses and supply chains. Yet smaller farms producing food for people have little influence in policy circles or business development support to seize market opportunities and build sustainable businesses. The Building Food Justice for Farmers and Food Producers project aims to help change that.
“The farmers we work with have a lot of grit and are highly motivated, but they can often feel powerless to expand their businesses when faced with the consolidation of the marketplace,” says Nixon. “These small businesses bring so much value to our communities. Our economic development policies should reflect this value.”
More Information
To learn more about the Building Food Justice for Farmers and Food Producers project, contact New Growth Food Systems Program Director Katie Nixon: knixon@wcmcaa.org.
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About New Growth
New Growth is a Missouri community development corporation focused on building local economic opportunities and the capacity of individuals and businesses to seize it. Programs include small farm and rural business assistance, credit building and micro-finance (loans less than $50,000), rural transit, and child care innovation. Website: https://www.newgrowthmo.org/. Email: info@newgrowthmo.org.
