2024 Issue 2

Welcome to the quarterly Catalyst newsletter. This edition includes:

• Save the Date: Innovation and Education Center Grand Opening September 28
• New Directors on Farm Foundation Board
• Attend the Farm Foundation Forum in Washington, D.C.
• 2024 Farm Foundation Award Recipients
• 2024 Next Generation Cohorts Announced
• Ag Scholars Attend AAEA
• And More!

Construction has completed at the Innovation and Education Center, with just a few final touches left to make. We hope you will join us for a grand opening celebration on Saturday, September 28, on our campus in Libertyville, Illinois. Tour the new facility and take part in all the great experiences we have planned for the day!

Three new directors were elected to service on the Farm Foundation Board. They are Jason Brantley, vice president, John Deere; Krysta Harden, president and CEO, U.S. Dairy Export Council; and Erin Nazetta, director, Broadview Group Holdings. READ MORE

The September Farm Foundation Forum: The Agricultural Platforms of the Candidates for President of the United States will examine the farm policies and positions from the campaigns of former President Donald Trump and the Democratic candidate. Topics covered will include the farm bill, agricultural trade, and environmental policy, among others.

The Forum will be held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., and also livestreamed via Zoom. A cocktail reception will immediately follow the Forum at the National Press Club. REGISTER TO ATTEND

The archived materials for the May 2024 Forum, Global Ag Trade and Sustainability: Gaps and Opportunities, are available for viewing and download on the Farm Foundation website. The May Forum outlined some of the key debates happening in agri-food trade, and explore opportunities for better understanding of sustainability policies and goals which impact agricultural trade. VIEW THE RECORDING

The archived materials for the April 2024 Forum, Unwrapping Packaging Regulations Impacting Agricultural Trade and Sustainability are available for viewing and download on the Farm Foundation website. The Forum explored how proposed regulations might not only impact supply chains and global food and ag trade but also producers. VIEW THE RECORDING

Four agricultural and food leaders have been recognized for their outstanding contributions to economics, animal health, teaching, and plant genetics with a prestigious 2024 Farm Foundation award. The Farm Foundation Awards recognize lifetime achievement and innovation aligned with Farm Foundation’s mission to build trust and understanding at the intersections of agriculture and society.

The recipients announced are:

·      R.J. Hildreth Public Policy Award: Round Table Fellow Jayson Lusk, Vice President and Dean, Oklahoma State University, Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources

·      Transformational Leadership Award: Robert Fraley, Former Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Monsanto Company

·      Emerging Leader Award: Yangxuan Liu, Associate Professor, University of Georgia

·      Innovator of the Year Award: Stephen Adejoro, Director, Livestock Industry Foundation for Africa



The awards, which originated through a public nomination process, were presented to the recipients at Farm Foundation’s Round Table meeting in Broomfield, Colorado, on June 20th. Nominations for the 2025 awards program will open in October of this year. 

On May 20 and 21, nine students participated in the first cohort of the Farm Foundation CAFE (Careers in Food and Agriculture Exploration) Student Workshop held at North Carolina A&T University Farm Pavilion in Greensboro, North Carolina. We were thrilled to partner with NC A&T on our 2024 program which brought nine promising undergraduate students from 1890 land-grant institutions to campus. Over the course of our two-day workshop the students explored career opportunities in agriculture, developed new skills for positioning themselves on the job market, expanded their networks, and left with a transformational experience and new tools to carry them into their future careers. We are grateful to the many faculty, staff, and guest speakers who shared their time and resources with our first cohort of CAFE students. READ MORE

At the end of July, the Ag Scholars traveled to New Orleans to present their research at the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) Annual Meeting, held July 28 to 30, 2024. Several Farm Foundation current program participants and alums won awards for their papers. These included Agricultural Scholar John Robinson of North Carolina State University, who won second place in the graduate student extension competition. READ MORE

PepsiCo recently unveiled its Planting Pathways Initiative, which provides job pathways in the agriculture industry. As an initial partner in this effort, Farm Foundation's Field to Future program provides a two-year experience for a cohort of six students to gain a deeper understanding of production agriculture, food processing, marketing, and agribusiness. READ MORE

Agricultural Economics Fellow News

Farm Foundation 2024 Agricultural Economics Trade and Sustainability Fellow Dr. Sandro Steinbach has recently co-authored a paper that explores the impact of deep trade agreements (DTAs) on agri-food global value chain (GVC) integration. January 2023 Cultivator Dr. Carlos Zurita also contributed to the paper. The study underscores that deeper DTAs wield a more substantial influence on GVC integration, particularly through provisions regulating standards and foreign investment, which act as catalysts. READ MORE

Farm Foundation 2023 Agricultural Economics Fellow Dr. Trey Malone has embarked on a new chapter as the Boehlje Chair in Managerial Economics for Agribusiness at Purdue University’s College of Agriculture. In this role, Malone aims to forge meaningful connections within the campus community and with agribusinesses, agtech industries, and smaller farm operations. READ MORE

Farm Foundation 2021 Agricultural Economics Fellow Dr. Alejandro Plastina has been selected as the new director of the Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center (RaFF) at the University of Missouri. He will join the Division of Applied Social Sciences (DASS) faculty as an associate professor within the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) at the University of Missouri. READ MORE

Learn About the Farm Family Wellness Alliance Services

The Farm Family Wellness Alliance hosted an open webinar about a national mental health resource, Togetherall, that we have made available for free to farm families (16+) nationwide. The informational session was held on May 21st from 10:00 – 11:00 am CT. via Zoom. Following the webinar, the recording was made available on the Farm Foundation website.

The Farm Foundation team has been making connections across the country and the globe, building understanding at the intersections of agriculture and society.

At the end of March, Farm Foundation President and CEO Shari Rogge-Fidler  travelled to Brussels, Belgium, to participate in two events focused on the future of food systems and global agricultural trade. The Forum for the Future of Agriculture’s Annual Conference, held on March 26th, explored the critical theme of “Restoring the Opportunity for Food System Transformation.” Rogge-Fidler then spoke at a Global Forum on Farm Policy and Innovation (GFFPI) discussion on March 27th, delving into the recently published report, “Advancing the Role of Trade and Agricultural Sustainability.” READ MORE

In the second week of April, Rogge-Fidler participated in the Collaborative Platform on Ag's EU delegation visit to Washington D.C. The Farm Foundation events team crafted the event's tour day, highlighting how the US often focuses on voluntary actions and incentives first rather than regulatory and the many actions farmers are taking for sustainability and innovation. 

Tim Brennan, Farm Foundation vice president of external relations, participated in a critical forum focused on food and agriculture sustainability. The Tomorrow’s Harvest: Food and Agriculture Sustainability Forum, held on April 11th, 2024, at the BMO Office in Chicago, brought together a diverse group of stakeholders in the Chicagoland area. READ MORE

Farm Foundation Vice President of Operations Todd Price was interviewed by Purdue Extension podcast series "Tools for Today's Farmers" on the Farm Family Wellness Alliance. LISTEN TO THE EPISODE

Amanda Martin, Farm Foundation director of development, and Martha King, vice president of programs and projects, attended MANRRS in Chicago to connect with the next generation of leaders in our industry. READ MORE

On May 1, Shari Rogge-Fidler, president and CEO of Farm Foundation, participated in the most recent installment of the Environmental Defense Fund’s Climate Tech Convening series, which focused on technology and policy in mitigating climate change. The discussion, held in New York City, involved farmers, research institutions, start-ups, agribusiness, and venture capital firms, and featured William Hohenstein, director of USDA’s Office of Energy and Environmental Policy as the keynote speaker. Rogge-Fidler spoke on the first panel: “The Producers’ Perspective - AgTech Challenges & Opportunities.”

She also attended the S2G Summit in Chicago, held May 8 and 9 on the theme "Financing the Transition: From Innovation to Scale." Farm Foundation Board Member Cristina Rohr spoke at the event in the food and ag track. Later in the month, Rogge-Fidler spoke at the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank's Agricultural Summit held on May 14 and 15.

Farm Foundation Director of Development Amanda L. Martin and Program Manager Jenna Wicks attended the Agricultural Future of America Alliance X program in Milwaukee, held June 12 to 14. The event focused on TEDx-style presentations inspiring the audience to think about the world of ag in new and innovative ways.

We are all invested in the success of America's agriculture industry. By becoming a Friend of Farm Foundation, your support will help with our continuing efforts to develop programs, foster dialogue, and invest in vital research projects to achieve our vision of building a future for farmers, our communities, and our world. BECOME A FRIEND OF FARM FOUNDTION

Farm Foundation is an accelerator of practical solutions for agriculture. Our mission is to build trust and understanding at the intersections of agriculture and society. Our vision is to build a future for farmers, our communities, and our world.

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