It’s football season, and fans across Missouri have their hopes set on championship wins. But there’s another victory the entire state is hungry for:  Mountain Plains Region “Crunch Off” Champion.

In the Mountain Plains Region Crunch Off Championship, eight states – Missouri, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming – compete to see how many “crunches” their residents can make into their state’s locally produced food during October. The state with the most crunches per capita wins Mountain Plains Region Crunch Off Champion bragging rights.

• The Missouri Crunch Off will involve events across the state throughout October, including a massive stadium crunch during the Mizzou Homecoming game on Saturday, Oct. 19. Those attending will receive bags of Missouri-grown popcorn to crunch.
• Nebraska has reigned as champion for the past several years. Missouri is determined to snatch the title for 2024. Individuals and organizations throughout the state can help by planning and registering a “crunch off” event at http://muext.us/mocrunchoff. No matter how large or small, each event registered will count toward the total.
• The Missouri Crunch Off, led by the Missouri Farm to School team, encourages healthy eating, supports local agriculture and helps Missourians gain a deeper understanding of the food system. The event is during October, which is National Farm to School month, when thousands of schools, early care and education sites, farms, communities and organizations across the country celebrate food education, school gardens and lunch trays filled with healthy, local ingredients.

For more information, visit http://muext.us/crunch or contact MU Extension Farm to School Coordinator Tracy Minnis at minnist@missouri.edu or 573-882-0588.

The Missouri Farm to School team is a partnership of University of Missouri Extension and four state agencies working to connect schools to local food and farms. Learn more at https://extension.missouri.edu/programs/missouri-farm-to-school.