The Howard County Commission joins schools, preschools, nonprofits, and local food enthusiasts in celebrating Farm to School Month by competing in an eight-state Crunch Off competition. Missouri is in competition with states in the Mountain Plains region (Colorado, Kansas, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming) to determine who will be crowned the Mountain Plains Region Crunch Champion through having the most crunches into local apples, popcorn, and other seasonal produce per capita. 

The Crunch Off events encourage healthy eating, support local agriculture, and help students and community members gain a deeper understanding of the food system. The University of Missouri Extension faculty and staff are offering taste tests with local produce at meetings, events, and programs statewide. 

Recently in Howard County, Extension staff crunched into local popcorn provided by Osage River Popcorn from Osage Beach, MO  (info@osageriverpopcorn.com) along with county commissioners Jerimiah Johnmeyer and Mat Freese, along with and county staff Jinger Felten and Kristin Felten. 

Help Missouri win the Crunch crown by joining the Crunch event. For more information, or to participate in the Crunch,  contact Liz Harrison at eharrison@missouri.edu or (660) 248-2272.