Cookin’ for a Great Cause
It wasn’t hard to find the sweetest smelling and tastiest part of the state on this day…just follow the smoke!
The Inaugural Farmers Feeding the Hungry Cookoff brought grills and grill masters from across the state to the Pearl River Resort outside of Philadelphia to find out who was the king or queen of chicken or ribs.
“Today, we’ve got all the agents who wanted to participate. Tomorrow in the Golf Tournament, we’ve got the Home Office is here with their staff, just having a great day celebrating Farm Bureau and collecting money for a worthy cause,” said Mick McCormick Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation President. “I can’t think of anything better than Mississippi Food Network’s Farmers Feeding the Hungry.”
“Just being able to come out here today and help provide the food for all this is just a fun time, good thing, come out for a good cause, turn out some good food. Hopefully, everybody has a good time,” said Lee Rollin, Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance.
This was the full Farm Bureau on display as auto, home, life and the Voice of Mississippi Agriculture united to raise donations for those in need through the Mississippi Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture.
“Our mission is to make a difference for people every day, and it’s a wonderful thing to be a part of and this is awesome because when you think about the foundation being created, it’s ultimate cause to, not only feeding the hungry, is going to be massive,” said David Hurt, Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company Chief Executive Officer. “You think about all the other things that are going to come out of this foundation, it’s going to be huge.”
“That’s what great about the Network, Mississippi Food Network. It’s a perfect scenario, perfect partnership, and with our people being so active in the community and involved in everything that goes on that community,” said Henry Hamil, Mississippi Farm Bureau Insurance Vice President of Sales.
Created in 2024, the Foundation for Agriculture focuses on four major pillars in MFBF: agriculture literacy, scholarships, agriculture promotion, and the Farmers Feeding the Hungry initiative. For participants and Farm Bureau staff, farming and food go hand in hand.
“This organization is phenomenal and the ability to work with Mississippi Food Network and give back to those,” said Britton Hatcher Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation staff member. “I mean we grow what people eat and consume and so they just go hand‑in‑hand in my opinion and the ability to work together is phenomenal.”
“We’re in every community. You know there’s a lot of new companies out there, but we’re the face of each community and I believe, you know, we make a difference every day in our policies and this industry, and what we do giving back to, you know, our communities and this is a prime example,” said Lance Cuevas, Hancock County Farm Bureau Insurance Agent.
The need it great. Mississippi is second only to Arkansas in hunger. The Mississippi Food Network serves 500 thousand food insecure Mississippians throughout a network of churches and food banks across the state. Chief Operating Officer Cass Mobley says donations of money, canned goods, and time are gladly accepted.
“Ninety‑six cents of every dollar that we raise goes to our programs, so we’re very efficient and effective with what we do,” said Cass Mobley, MS Food Network Chief Operating Officer. “So having volunteers helps us keep our overhead cost low and it’s important. It’s also important I think for people to understand there’s a need in Mississippi, and they can contribute like that.”
Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation staff volunteered by packing hundreds of meals for school children in April, a part of what makes the Farm Bureau trifecta more than just about insurance or agriculture, but about Mississippi.
“It’s not everybody for themselves. It’s about holding your hand out and helping people and that’s what we try to do at Farm Bureau,” said Al Cummings, Oktibbeha and Chickasaw Farm Bureau Insurance agent. “That’s what we’re out here to do today is try to raise some money to help people that need it when they need it.”
“I think everybody ought to have enough food to eat. That’s just commonsense and it makes sense to me that farmers should be the one that reaches out and helps those less fortunate than us,” said McCormick.
The dates for next year’s Foundation Cookoff are set for May 7th and 8th, 2026 at the Pearl River Resort.
If you would like to donate to the Farmers Feeding the Hungry Initiative through the Foundation for Agriculture, checks may be mailed to this address:
Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation
Atten:: Jamie Swafford
P O Box 1972
Jackson MS 39215