Sustainable Food Supply

Patchwork Family Farms

is a 

c

ooperative marketing effort made up of independent Missouri family hog farmers who want to bring their family farm-raised pork products to you, 

and a program of 

Missouri Rural Crisis Center

.

MRCC launched Patchwork Family Farms in 1993 to give Missouri’s independent family farm hog producers an alternative market to the commodity market that was becoming and has become concentrated and captured by a few multi-national corporations, putting family farmers out of business, extracting wealth from our rural communities and damaging our food security. 

Patchwork Family Farms purchases hogs directly from local, independent family farmers, and producers raise their hogs the traditional way, outside without use of sub-theraputic antibiotics; and, we have a price floor and pay significantly above market price, to ensure our producer members get a fair and good price for their hogs no matter how low the commodity market goes, keeping them in business and supporting local economies and food systems

By purchasing Patchwork Family Farm pork products, you are directly supporting independent agriculture, rural economies and Missouri farm families.

As part of MRCC’s goal towards rural and urban collaboration, our Growing the Local Food Chain in Missouri project is working to build a stronger food justice and local food presence. Our project deepens MRCC’s engagement with rural and urban youth, adults and families through experiential and educational activities focused on local food and food justice. We host events like youth workshops, cooking demonstrations, urban/rural partnership initiatives, and community gardening in St. Louis and mid-Missouri.

MRCC’s Farms are for Everyone Farm Camps are bridging the gaps between urban and rural, young and old, and consumers and producers–by building unity among diverse groups. Farm Camp exposes youth to rural ways of life, teaches them about sustainable family farm livestock production and local food preparation, and offers a fun environment for rural and urban kids to interact and build life-long friendships centered around agriculture and food justice.

Gaby Patch Kids Cooking Program brings together youth, local producers, and chefs to empower kids to cook the food for themselves and their families.