Trusted since 1933
The reliability of a “think tank.” The impact of a “do tank.”
Farm Foundation leverages the power of collaboration between food and agricultural stakeholders with diverse perspectives to spark beneficial solutions that will advance agriculture in positive ways.
About Us
Farm Foundation is an accelerator of practical solutions for agriculture.
We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit working across the food and ag value chain to build momentum behind meaningful solutions to some of the most important challenges facing farmers and, by extension, our industry as a whole. Our fiercely nonpartisan approach means we are uniquely able to address issues with objectivity and inclusivity, bringing together diverse perspectives from influential people and organizations to discuss and develop solutions. We support food and agriculture by meeting challenges with a relentless dedication to ensuring all the right stakeholders are involved and engaged in building something for the greater good—providing an agenda-free zone to achieve a shared vision for a better future for food and ag. We move with speed, purpose and agility to make the greatest impact in the most important areas in the shortest amount of time.
Our Mission, Vision, and Values Guide Our Work
Our Mission
Our mission is to build trust and understanding at the intersections of agriculture and society. We provide the necessary space for agriculture to respond to the evolving needs of the communities we serve, and for those communities to understand and support the essential work of those throughout the food and ag value chain.
Our Vision
Our vision is to build a future for farmers, our communities and our world. We believe that building a future for our communities and our world starts with building a future for farmers. We move with purpose to help farmers preserve their critical role in providing food, fiber and fuel while enhancing efficiency, productivity and profitability.
Our Values
We value integrity and respect for individuals as core to fulfilling our mission of building trust and understanding. Listening for understanding is a critical element that demonstrates these values.
We value objectivity, going beyond politics for constructive discussions, and are non-political, non-lobbying in our approach.
We value diversity, equity and inclusion. We use a “big tent” approach to diversity of people in all ways – from perspectives, experiences, backgrounds and agriculture systems to gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity and ability. We believe this diversity builds trust and understanding of different approaches and enhances outcomes for all stakeholders.
We value constructive, evidence-based dialogue that informs collaborative actions to accelerate practical solutions for our food and agriculture system. These are core aspects of our “think tank/do tank” model.
We value innovation, education and policy as important levers to address the economic, environmental and social challenges for farmers and the broader food and agriculture system.
We value a culture of gratitude for, and stewardship of, our resources, natural, financial and human.
Our Approach
We accelerate people.
Diverse perspectives and non-partisan objectivity have been vital to Farm Foundation’s advancement of agriculture since 1933. Today, we don’t just collaborate; we develop and motivate. We ensure that emerging leaders and seasoned professionals have an opportunity to impact each other and our industry, and we build coalitions to achieve balance and objectivity in our work. This multi-generational, multi-stakeholder approach is at the heart of everything we do. Our invitation-only Round Table program has, for decades, brought influential leaders together to explore ideas, analyses and insights on issues and challenges facing agriculture, the food system and rural regions. And with our suite of Next Generation programs, we seek to develop tomorrow’s top farmers, ranchers, food and agribusiness professionals, academics and policy leaders.
Learn about our programs
We accelerate ideas.
By fostering productive dialogue across stakeholders and generations, Farm Foundation fuels promising ideas that will strengthen the food and agriculture system. Throughout the year, we host or co-host Farm Foundation Forums, meetings and events designed to encourage productive debate among people with diverse perspectives, and we publish Issue Reports, blog posts and other content to share insights on important topics in food and ag. We actively collaborate with like-minded industry organizations and others to amplify the conversation around these topics. We approach issues with an open mind and civility, providing a platform productive dialogue that leads to meaningful impact. We believe this unbiased approach is essential to creating the space for the best solutions and long-term outcomes.
View Our ResourcesWe accelerate practical solutions.
Farm Foundation takes action, building the necessary momentum to address urgent issues facing our industry, from farmer health and conservation to market development and digital agriculture. We are able and willing to work across all of food and agriculture at the local, national and international level; we are not limited to a particular vertical or sector, allowing us to make greater impact where it’s needed most. Food and agriculture are inextricably linked; we believe that what affects one affects the other, and that challenges and their solutions should involve the input and understanding of both. We address social, environmental and economic issues using innovation, education and policy to achieve tangible results.
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A Legacy of Trust
Founded in 1933, Farm Foundation is believed to be the first foundation created specifically to serve agriculture and rural communities.
Our HistoryA Dedicated Team
Our Board of Directors, Board of Trustees and Staff are deeply dedicated to helping our industry and its hardworking people thrive.
Our TeamStrong Partnerships
We are grateful to have the financial support of many organizations who share our vision and believe in our unique ability to impact food and ag.
Our PartnersWhat can we build together?
If you share our vision for building a future for farmers, our communities and our world—and you have ideas for innovative ways to accelerate people, ideas and solutions to help us get there—we would love to talk to you about how we can build a partnership. We encourage you to connect with us!