A meeting at the Boone County Health Department joined agriculture and education for a discussion that could impact Missouri's children. The forum was held by University of Missouri Extension. Farm to School is a group aimed at bringing locally grown and produced foods into school cafeterias. The group advocates "farm fresh" foods, saying they are healthier for students.

Representatives from schools and farms across Missouri spoke about the constraints keeping the program from being more successful. Among the problems proponents of farm fresh foods face is the cost. The higher cost of goods from smaller farming operations worry school administrators. Schools also worry about the cost of processing more foods in-house.

Eric Cartwright, the executive chef of the MU's Campus Dining Service, spoke about the problems with getting produce from local sources.

"Without laser cutters or big machines, it's much more time consuming to cut tomatoes and vegetables," he said.

Despite the extra costs, supporters say there are benefits to bringing farm fresh foods into schools. Mary Hendrickson is part of University of Missouri Extension and teaches others about farm fresh foods.

"There's a wide range of benefits and there's also a lot of challenges to making it happen and that's what we're here trying to educate ourselves on and trying to solve those issues," she said.

Laina Fullum of Columbia Public Schools said a major benefit is the taste. She said Columbia's schools are taking steps towards locally produced lunches, but need more funding and time to establish a more permanent program.