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Since 1985, Missouri Rural Crisis Center has been
fighting for economic, social, & environmental justice…
and we couldn't do it without YOU!!

The Missouri Rural Crisis Center (MRCC) is celebrating its 20-year anniversary as a progressive, statewide farm and rural organization with 5,500 member families. MRCC's mission is to preserve family farms, promote stewardship of the land and environmental integrity, and strive for economic and social justice by building unity and mutual understanding among diverse groups, both rural and urban. Farmers cannot win justice in isolation from all other justice struggles.

We are an organized farm and rural base that is engaged in both direct economic benefit organizing (Patchwork Family Farms and Community Food Security) and in non-partisan, citizen participation organizing. Patchwork Family Farms is a cooperative marketing effort of independent family farmers who provide high quality pork to consumers who want high quality, sustainably and humanely raise pork products. Our chapters have also organized Food Cooperatives to enhance food security among low-income rural people and support locally raised foods from family farmers.

Our issues include:

• Protecting the environment in our communities
• Promoting economic development that creates good jobs for people (on farm, in town, and beyond), 
• Standing up for and utilizing our democratic power and institutions against expanding and increasingly anti-democratic corporate power,
• Connecting our members with the issues of other organizations and constituencies which also work to protect the environment,
• Reining in unchecked corporate power, and
• Creating positive change.

Our members are not the usual participants in environmental or even economic justice conferences or fundraisers. For one thing, they are too busy for that - busy farming, working at the plant in town, in their second job as a nurse, teacher, truck driver, or in their small business. But they are directly and immediately concerned with environmental issues that affect their air, drinking water, livelihoods, and, as they come to see, their health, and the livability of their community. As they become members of and work with the MRCC, they further develop their understanding and analysis, and become effective spokespeople and leaders; and they learn how to organize to win.

As a result of MRCC's leadership, workers, African-Americans, Mexican and other immigrants, environmentalists, students, activists, farmers from around the world, and healthy eaters have stood side by side with Missouri farmers for 20 years as we've faced down the power of industrial bosses who want to take over and ship out our livelihoods. We've marched together, lobbied together, worked together, and (sometimes) celebrated success together!

We invite you to join us in celebrating 20 years of building power for progressive issues, and deepening our relationships for the struggles ahead.