Farm Foundation Impact & Insights 2025 Issue 4 | | In this edition, we’re celebrating the many ways Farm Foundation is driving impact across food and agriculture, from empowering new farmers and cultivating future leaders to advancing global collaboration and innovation. Explore the stories that highlight how we’re building trust, inspiring connection, and shaping the future of agriculture together. | | Innovation in Action: One Year of Impact at the Farm Foundation Campus | | Just over a year ago, Farm Foundation opened the Innovation and Education Campus in Libertyville, Illinois, creating a space where people and ideas come together to tackle agriculture’s biggest challenges. | In its first year, the Campus has hosted summits, bootcamps, and partner events that brought together voices from across food and agriculture, including Farm Foundation Seeders, Round Table Fellows, Next Gen Alumni, GFFPI partners, and other guests. | | From high-level summits with leaders like former U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Mike Johanns, and Chancellor Sonny Perdue, to Ag 101 Bootcamps connecting teams from McDonald’s, Kraft Heinz, Koch Agronomic Services, and more, the Campus has become a true hub for learning, collaboration, and innovation. | | |
Organizations such as Regenified™ have also found inspiration here, calling it “the perfect setting for learning and engagement.”
The Farm Foundation Campus continues to grow as a neutral ground for dialogue and discovery, helping shape the future of food and agriculture.
| | Programs and Opportunities at our Campus | | |
AG 101 Bootcamps
Farm Foundation’s two-day Ag 101 Bootcamp is an immersive introduction to the forces shaping modern agriculture. Participants learn the fundamentals of agricultural economics, explore innovation and investment trends transforming food and agriculture, and dive into sustainability and regenerative practices through hands-on demonstrations and farm tours.
| | Ag 101 Bootcamps also provides a clear overview of today’s policy landscape and concludes with a forward-looking discussion on the future of food and agriculture. Whether new to the sector or looking to broaden perspective, Bootcamp offers a practical, high-impact learning experience. | | |
Farm Foundation Campus Rentals
Located in Libertyville Illinois, our campus offers a uniquely serene backdrop that honors agriculture’s heritage while inspiring new ideas. The campus includes a state-of-the-art Innovation and Education Center for corporate retreats, strategy sessions, summits, and team training.
| | In addition, the historic barn and farmhouse serve as warm, welcoming spaces ideal for smaller groups and informal collaboration. Connect with us to explore how your organization can use the Campus to learn, innovate, and accelerate ideas. | | Building the Next Generation of American Farmers | | |
Recently, Farm Foundation welcomed guests and partners to our Libertyville campus to launch FarmPath, a new Farm Foundation program making farming more accessible for the next generation.
FarmPath will provide aspiring and beginning farmers with the tools, mentorship, and early capital needed to start and sustain viable farm businesses.
With support from The Mosaic Company Foundation for Sustainable Food Systems and the PepsiCo Foundation, FarmPath lowers barriers to entry and opens doors for a more diverse, innovative, and sustainable future in agriculture.
| | If you or your organization would like to be part of FarmPath, we welcome your collaboration. From mentoring and partnership opportunities to program support and community engagement, there are many ways to help cultivate the next generation of American farmers. | | Cultivating the Next Generation of Agricultural Leaders | | We recently hosted our inaugural Next Gen Summit, bringing together participants and alumni from our Next Generation programs for an inspiring and forward-focused gathering. | | Today, our Next Gen network includes more than 300 alumni! With nine active Next Gen programs, including FarmPath which will launch in January of 2026. | | The momentum is growing, and we invite you to be part of it. By sharing our nomination links, you can help rising food and agriculture leaders join Farm Foundation’s Next Generation network. Nominations for Cultivators and Agricultural Scholars are open through November 11th. | | If you have questions about the nomination process or would like to explore ways to support Farm Foundation’s Next Gen initiatives, please contact Chrissie Edgeworth. | | Learn more about our Next Generation Programs | | Global Impact: Advancing Our Agricultural Collaboration | | We recently joined our international partners for a Global Forum on Farm Policy and Innovation (GFFPI) workshop titled Finding Common Ground in a Divided World: Public and Private Sector Roles for Advancing Trade, Sustainability, and Innovation that focused on finding common ground on the most pressing global agricultural challenges, from trade and sustainability to innovation in a rapidly changing world. | | GFFPI was also invited to participate in the Canadian Agri-Food in a Risky World meeting, hosted by the Canadian Agrifood Policy Institute (CAPI). This event was CAPI’s third annual Exchange conference. | | Shaping the Supply Chain of the Future | | As part of Farm Foundation’s ongoing work to strengthen collaboration and innovation across the food system, the organization joined partners at the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) Global Produce and Floral Show to advance the Supply Chain of the Future initiative. This multi-sector effort is focused on building a more resilient, efficient, and sustainable global food network. | | Throughout the event, participants explored shared challenges and opportunities across regenerative agriculture, food waste, packaging, climate, and social impact. Interactive sessions and panels examined new solutions in data sharing, freshness optimization, and supply chain transparency, highlighting how innovation can reduce waste and improve outcomes from farm to consumer. | | Recognized by IFPA leadership for driving collaboration and forward thinking, Farm Foundation and our partners continues to play a key role in shaping the future of the global food supply chain. | | Nominations Now Open: 2026 Farm Foundation Awards | | Recognizing excellence and innovation in food and agriculture, we are accepting nominations for the 2026 awards. Honorees will be celebrated at the June 2026 Round Table meeting in St. Louis, Missouri. | | |
Key Dates:
Deadline: December 8, 2025
Winners Announced: February 9, 2026
Award Categories:
R.J. Hildreth Public Policy Award
Transformational Leadership Award
Innovator of the Year Award
Emerging Leader Award
Farm Foundation Book of the Year Award
All nominations require a resume/CV and at least one supporting letter.
| | Thank you to our moderator Keith H. Coble of Mississippi State University and panelists Tara Smith of Torrey Advisory Group, John Coleman of Munich Re, and regenerative organic farmer Rick Clark of Farm Green LLC. | | Join us for our next Farm Foundation Forum, Recasting Morrill, Reclaiming Relevance: The Future of Land-Grant Universities, Thursday, December 4, 2025 from 9-11am CST. | | 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. | | | | |
