Missouri Rural Crisis Center

Yesterday, we took the Farm Aid film crew to Chillicothe to revisit the site of the 145-day MRCC-led blockade of the USDA Farmers Home Administration office (1986), the longest-sustained farmer protest in U.S. history. So much was built in this parking lot 4 decades ago: relationships, momentum, accountability and the people power for the farm movement to make major progress at the federal level with the 1987 Agricultural Credit Act.

Chillicothe is also the site of our very first emergency food distribution. During that protest, we provided food to farm families who were growing our food but couldn't afford to put food on their tables in the 1980s Farm Crisis. That emergency response grew into our longest-running program—our food co-op, which delivers food to 8 locations every month (including Chillicothe), feeding hundreds of families in 20 counties.

Our Chillicothe highlights (pictured) include: volunteers setting up for the food distribution, lunch with our co-op volunteers, an interview with Maylene Johnston (who has been a volunteer with the co-op from the beginning) and Ron Perry (yes, Rhonda's dad, but also our co-op chapter leader and original Patchwork Family Farms producer), and filming the 1986 protest site from the bed of the truck!

Our first stop after the office with our Farm Aid film crew was Clovers Natural Market! Thank you so much to Noah Earle, MRCC farmer member and co-owner of Clovers, for taking the time to share your story of bringing fresh, local food to mid-Missouri for over 50 years- what a great example of not just talking the talk but also walking the walk. Clovers supports so many family farmers, artisans and local businesses, including stocking Patchwork Family Farms pork for decades. The farm and food movement doesn't work without our awesome partners like the restaurants and grocery stores like Clovers being part of the solution. Be sure to check out their 2 locations in Columbia!