At Farm Foundation, we work every day to ensure a more resilient future for agriculture. One of the most pressing issues facing our farm families today is something often left unspoken: mental health. That’s why we’re thrilled to partner with Culver’s on a special initiative to bring awareness, resources, and support to farmers across the country.

“From significant weather events to an uncertain economy, our farmers need our help,” said Tim Brennan, Vice President of Programs and Strategic Impact at Farm Foundation. “The funds raised through Culver’s Green and Gold campaign will help ensure that farm families know there are resources and a community available to support them during tough times.” 

About Farm Family Wellness Alliance 

Launched by Farm Foundation in 2020 in response to the devastating derecho storms in Iowa, the Farm Family Wellness Alliance was created to provide immediate and ongoing emotional and mental health support to those affected. In 2024, Farm Foundation expanded access nationwide to allow all members of farm families over the age of 16 to participate in the program. 

Among FFWA’s key offerings is TogetherAll—a secure, monitored, online peer support community where farmers can share their experiences, listen to others, and find encouragement in knowing they are not alone. 

About the Film: “Green and Gold” 

Created in partnership with Culver’s, Green and Gold tells a heartfelt story that reflects the real-life challenges and resilience of American farmers. The film aligns with Culver’s deep-rooted support of agriculture through its Thank You Farmers® Project and showcases the vital contributions of farmers to our food system and environment. 

Green and Gold is now available for early digital purchase on Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, and Google Play.

To learn more or to watch the film, visit: www.greenandgoldmovie.com 

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Riley has been rooted in agriculture for generations, embodying the resilience and dedication that define the farming community. Yet, like so many in the industry, they have experienced firsthand the immense pressures that come with farming. In 2024, their beloved Jimmy lost his struggle to maintain mental health, leaving behind a grieving wife and five young children determined to turn their loss into hope for others. In response to their personal loss, Riley has committed to supporting mental health awareness and access to resources for farm families nationwide. 

“Our family understands the struggles that so many in agriculture face, and we want Jimmy’s story to raise awareness and be a beacon of hope, encouraging others to seek help when they need it. Asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness—it does not define who you are, but rather shows your courage to keep going,” said Riley Boschma. “Through this gift, we hope to ensure that farm families have access to the mental health support they need and to reduce the stigma that prevents many from seeking help.” 

The Farm Family Wellness Alliance, an initiative of Farm Foundation in partnership with most major agricultural organizations in the US, including 4H, American Farmer Bureau Federation, FFA, Farmers Union, and others, provides farm families with free, confidential access to mental health support through an online peer-to-peer community, professional resources, and crisis intervention services. Since its national launch in 2024, the program has expanded to serve farmers and agricultural communities across 47 states, offering a safe space for connection and healing through TogetherAll, an online mental health support community exclusively for American farm family members aged 16 and above. 

“The generosity of Riley Boschma and her children will have a lasting impact on the lives of so many in agriculture,” said Shari Rogge-Fidler, CEO of Farm Foundation. “This gift not only honors Jimmy’s legacy but also strengthens our ability to reach more farm families with critical mental health resources. We are grateful for their commitment to creating meaningful change in the industry.” 

Farmers are the backbone of our nation, yet they often carry an invisible burden. As economic pressures, unpredictable weather, and the weight of legacy continue to challenge those in agriculture, access to mental health support is more vital than ever. Riley’s contribution underscores the urgent need for expanded resources in rural communities and serves as a call to action for others to invest in the well-being of those who feed the nation. Learn more about the Boschma farm at www.boschmafarms.org   

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Farm Foundation, in collaboration with PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation, is proud to announce the launch of the Next Generation Farmers Program, an initiative designed to equip young agricultural entrepreneurs with the skills, education, and resources needed to thrive in today’s farming sector.

Recognizing the growing challenges young farmers face – including limited access to education and training – the Next Generation Farmers Program will provide vital scholarships, training, and mentorship opportunities. This initiative is intended to serve as a critical steppingstone in helping the next generation of U.S. farmers build strong, sustainable businesses to feed the world for years to come.

Gregg Halverson is a farmer from North Dakota who grows potatoes for Frito-Lay and has a long-held affiliation with Farm Foundation. Halverson emphasizes the benefits this program can have for the agricultural community in the U.S. “I believe there is a lot of interest and passion for agriculture among our young people, but the high barriers to entering this field can be discouraging. The programs that Farm Foundation and the PepsiCo Foundation are building will have a direct impact on helping these young agriculturists gain a footing in the production ag sector.”

As a key supporter of this initiative, the PepsiCo Foundation has committed to a multi-year financial investment, furthering its efforts to support the agricultural community. This funding will help provide essential resources to young farmers via the Next Generation Farmers Program, fostering long-term success in an increasingly demanding industry.

“By investing in the future of agriculture, we are ensuring that young farmers have the tools and guidance they need to build viable and resilient businesses,” said Shari Rogge-Fidler, President and CEO at Farm Foundation. “We are proud to partner with the PepsiCo Foundation to drive meaningful change and support the next generation of agricultural leaders.”

“The PepsiCo Foundation’s work focuses on the creation of sustainable and innovative solutions, including ways to support a more resilient, sustainable agricultural system to help feed the world’s growing population,” said C.D. Glin, President of the PepsiCo Foundation and Global Head of Social Impact at PepsiCo. “We are proud to partner with the Farm Foundation once again to further our pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) agenda and to support the next generation of farmers by providing the tools and resources they need to succeed.”

This latest initiative builds on a Farm Foundation, PepsiCo, and the PepsiCo Foundation collaboration, Field to Future, a two-year cohort program designed to create career opportunities within the agriculture industry at large.

Farm Foundation encourages other stakeholders to prioritize building a future for farmers. Through donations and advocacy, individuals and organizations can play a pivotal role in shaping the future of American agriculture and empowering young farmers with the knowledge, resources, and networks necessary for success.

For more information about the Next Generation Farmers Program and how to get involved, please visit https://farmfoundation.org/nextgenfarmer or contact Tim Brennan, Vice President of Programs and Strategic Impact at Farm Foundation at tim@farmfoundation.org

About Farm Foundation:
About Farm Foundation®: 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. We accomplish this by leveraging non‐partisan objective dialogue, information, and training, catalyzing solutions, and creating multi‐stakeholder collaboration. Our vision is to build a future for farmers, our communities, and our world.

About PepsiCo:

PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated nearly $92 billion in net revenue in 2024, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo’s product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales. 

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with pep+ (PepsiCo Positive). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com, and follow on X (Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @PepsiCo. 

About the PepsiCo Foundation:    
The PepsiCo Foundation, the philanthropic arm of PepsiCo, invests in the essential elements of a sustainable food system with a mission to support thriving communities. Working with non-profits and experts around the globe, we’re focused on helping communities obtain access to food security, safe water and economic opportunity. We strive for tangible impact in the places where we live and work—collaborating with industry peers, local and international organizations, and our employees to affect large-scale change on the issues that matter to us and are of global importance. Learn more at www.pepsicofoundation.com.  Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.  

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Farm Foundation’s Meet Your Farmer podcast featured Hannah Borg in season1, episode 5.

Hannah is a sixth-generation farmer from Wakefield, Nebraska. In 2019, she returned home to the family business, Borg Farms. She and her family raise crops, cattle, and chickens for Costco. She holds a degree in agricultural communications from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

In the episode, Hannah discusses what it was like to grow up on the farm, navigating the transitions between generations, how she came to be raising chickens for Costco, among many other topics.

Listen to the episode.

Find Hannah on Instagram: itshannahborg

Music: “Country Roads” by Sergii Pavkin from Pixabay

Reach us at communication@farmfoundation.org.

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Farm Foundation’s Meet Your Farmer podcast featured A.G. Kawamura in season 1, episode 4.

A.G. is a third-generation farmer in Southern California and operates Orange County Produce with his brother. He served as California Secretary of Agriculture from 2003 to 2010. He is founding chair of Solutions for Urban Agriculture, which grows produce for area food banks. He is involved in many other organizations, including as founding co-chair of Solutions from the Land, and with Farm Foundation as a Roundtable Fellow since 2011, and currently serving on the Farm Foundation Board of Directors. He also serves on the board of Western Growers.

In this episode, A.G. discusses what it means to be a landless farmer, his work to solve food insecurity, and some of the dynamics of the fresh produce industry that are not widely known.

Listen to the episode.

Music: “Country Roads” by Sergii Pavkin from Pixabay

Reach us at communication@farmfoundation.org.

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Farm Foundation’s Meet Your Farmer podcast featured Steve Kaufman in season 1, episode 3.

Steve is a fifth-generation farmer. He returned to his family’s Idaho farm full time in 2014 when his uncles and father were ready to retire. He and his two brothers farm 14,000 dryland crop acres, growing primarily winter wheat, spring wheat, peas, garbanzo beans, and canola. Prior to that, he worked at Northwest Farm Credit Services while also farming part time. Steve is an alum of Farm Foundation’s Young Farmer Accelerator Program.

In this episode, Steve talks about how gratifying it is to produce enough grain for 30 million loaves of bread on his farm, the hard work of trying to balance life with young kids and farm life, and what the process was like to switch over to no-till.

Listen to the episode.

Music: “Country Roads” by Sergii Pavkin from Pixabay

Reach us at communication@farmfoundation.org.

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Farm Foundation’s Meet Your Farmer podcast featured Amanda Butterfield and her daughter, Evelyn, in Season 1, Episode 2.

Amanda Butterfield is director of corporate partnerships at The Meat Institute, and she also owns and operates a farm in Pennsylvania. With her husband and daughter, they raise beef cattle at Maple Valley Cattle Company, a 180-acre cow-calf operation. The farm was recently selected as a finalist for the 2024 Pennsylvania Leopold Conservation Award, which honors farmers and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil health, water quality and wildlife habitat on working land.

At her farm, Amanda uses strategies like rotational grazing, cover crops, integrated pest management strategies, and has preserved the farm’s woodlands and wetlands and native grasslands to improve soil health and support biodiversity.

The conversation covered some of the logistics of rotational grazing and land restoration on the farm, Amanda’s path to farming as a first-generation farmer, and what the future holds for young people on the farm today.

Listen to the episode.

Find Maple Valley Cattle Company on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amcbutterfield2/

See the farm on this video by the Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQhbW3MRfeo

Music: “Country Roads” by Sergii Pavkin from Pixabay

Reach us at communication@farmfoundation.org.

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Farm Foundation’s Meet Your Farmer podcast featured Klaas Martens in season 1, episode 1. Klaas is a third-generation farmer in New York. He operates Martens Farm and Lakeview Organic Grain Mill with his wife Mary Howell Martens and their son Peter. On 1,600 acres, he produces numerous crops, including corn, soybeans, spelt, wheat, einkorn, emmer, triticale, buckwheat, oats, barley, rye, cabbage, dry beans, and hay. He’s been farming since the 1970s and shifted to organic farming in the 90s. Klaas is a Farm Foundation Round Table Fellow (since 2015) and also serves on the Farm Foundation Board of Directors. He also serves as a mentor in our Young Farmer Accelerator Program.

In this episode, Klaas discusses being the son of immigrant farmers, how his farming practices changed over the years, and one of his favorite things about wheat. He also shares some stories of how he has helped young farmers get into farming and the importance of community.

Listen to the episode.

Video presentation referenced in episode: My Organic Grain Journey with Klaas Martens, recorded at the 0Grain 2024 Winter Conference.

Music: “Country Roads” by Sergii Pavkin from Pixabay

Reach us at communication@farmfoundation.org.

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The November Farm Foundation® Forum, Growing Together: Trends and Transformation in U.S. Agriculture Labor, highlighted some of the findings from a recent multi-day symposium that explored the future of the U.S. agricultural workforce. The symposium, held by Farm Foundation and the Economic Research Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, aimed to convene a network of researchers and stakeholders to engage in productive discussions focused on farm labor issues. The primary goal was to strengthen and enhance ongoing farm labor research.

This forum highlighted the critical importance of farm labor to the competitiveness of US agriculture, particularly for labor-intensive commodities like fruits and vegetables. The discussion was moderated by Michael Marsh, president and CEO of the National Council of Agricultural Employers, and featured panelists: Philip Martin Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Davis; Andrew Padovani, senior research associate with JBS International; and Alexandra Hill, assistant professor at the University of California, Berkeley.

The Forum covered a wide range of topics, including wage rates and competition, legislative and regulatory challenges, litigation and legal actions, mechanization and labor alternatives, and economic and demographic trends.

Numerous Issues to Consider

One point brought up was that there has been no significant agricultural labor reform since 1986, making it difficult to address current labor issues. Farmers must also contend with many new regulations, including those related to wage rates and worker protection. The impact of the Adverse Effect Wage Rate and competition with countries like Mexico was also discussed.

One solution to rising labor costs is a push toward mechanization, which brings about its own set of questions around adaptation to this change. In some cases, robotic harvesters are not yet fast enough or inexpensive enough to replace human hand pickers, but the gap may be closing fastest for crops like apples.

The H2-A program was also a large part of the discussion. The use of H-2A workers is increasing, but the program’s costs and regulatory requirements are significant. The anticipated impacts of the incoming administration on the potential for ag labor reform was also briefly discussed during audience question and answer session.

Overall, the Forum underscored the urgent need for comprehensive agricultural labor reform to ensure the sustainability and competitiveness of US agriculture. The discussions highlighted the complex interplay of wage rates, regulatory challenges, and the need for mechanization and alternative labor sources.

The two-hour discussion, including the audience question and answer session, was recorded and is archived on the Farm Foundation website. 

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