Outreach Program

The Outreach Program provides targeted, high-quality information about agriculture and MDA services to urban, rural, farm, and non-farm audiences as a means of educating, informing, and engaging the public. The program’s goal is to increase all Missourians’ knowledge of the economic, historical, and social value of agriculture.

Outreach staff work with Missouri youth, encouraging them to pursue agricultural degrees and career choices through programs such as the Missouri Agribusiness Academy, the Missouri Youth Livestock Grading and Judging Contest, Building Our American Communities (BOAC) grants and scholarships.

The outreach program serves as liaison between MDA and Missouri agricultural commodity associations. The program publishes contact information of agriculture commodity groups, coordinates commodity merchandising council elections, and prepares official proclamations.The program also works to educate producers about opportunities to improve overall quality and market value of livestock in Missouri.

Building Our American Communities (BOAC) Grants Program

This program provides $18,000 annually to Missouri 4-H clubs and FFA chapters for projects aimed at developing and advancing Missouri’s rural communities.

Contacts for Missouri Agriculture

Contacts for Missouri Agriculture (pdf)

Livestock Judging

Missouri Youth Livestock Grading and Judging Contest and Workshop

Missouri Agribusiness Academy

MAbA is a youth leadership program designed for high school sophomores to explore career opportunities in agribusiness, government and production agriculture.