Farm Foundation Awards Programs

Call for Nominations is Open for Farm Foundation 2025 Awards

Farm Foundation’s annual awards program recognizes those who exemplify our mission and values. There are two lifetime achievement awards, two innovator awards and a new book award for 2025. Awards nominations will be accepted until November 15, 2024. The awards will be presented to the recipients during the Farm Foundation Round Table Dinner in Spokane, Washington on July 17, 2025.

Farm Foundation Book of the Year Award

New in 2025! Farm Foundation Book of the Year Award This award is open to a book published within the last 24 months, that is non-fiction, published in English, and focused on food and/or agriculture.

Lifetime Achievement Awards

R.J. Hildreth Public Policy Award In the mid-1990s, Farm Foundation began awarding the R.J. Hildreth Award for Career Achievement in Public Policy, an award currently open to those in the field of public policy, through government service, as educators, or those researching agricultural policy.

The Farm Foundation Transformational Leadership Award This lifetime achievement award honors an individual who has demonstrated innovative and transformational leadership in food and agriculture.

Innovator Awards

The Farm Foundation Innovator of the Year Award The focus of this award is to recognize those change makers that are an integral part to solving some of the most influential challenges we face today in the agriculture and food industries.

The Farm Foundation Emerging Leader Award This award recognizes an emerging young leader who is on the trajectory to make transformational change within the agriculture and food sectors.

Nomination Requirements

+–

The awards are open to any candidate involved in the agriculture and food industries. Anyone may submit a nomination, including a self-nomination. Recommendations are also welcome from the Farm Foundation Round Table Fellows and board. Please see individual award pages for required nomination materials. We will follow up with all nominators and nominees throughout the review and selection process.

Submit nominations through this form https://www.cognitoforms.com/FarmFoundation/_2025FarmFoundationAwards

2025 Awards Timeline

+–

October 10, 2024 – Nominations open
November 15, 2024 – Nominations are due
November 19, 2024 – Nominations sent to the Awards Committee for selection
December 17, 2024 – Award recipients notified
January 17, 2025 – Recipients deadline to submit the guest list and photo/biography
April 9, 2025 – Winners and finalists are announced
July 17, 2025 – Awards presented at the Farm Foundation Round Table Dinner in Spokane, Washington

2024 Award Recipients

R.J. Hildreth Public Policy Award: Dr. Jayson Lusk, Vice President and Dean, Oklahoma State University, Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
The Farm Foundation Transformational Leadership Award: Dr. Robert Fraley, former Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Monsanto Company
The Farm Foundation Emerging Leader Award: Dr. Yangxuan Liu, Professor and Interim Department Head, University of Georgia
The Farm Foundation Innovator of the Year Award: Dr. Stephen Adejoro, Director, Livestock Industry Foundation for Africa

2023 Award Recipients

R.J. Hildreth Public Policy Award: Round Table Honorary Life Fellow Joe Outlaw, Regents Fellow, Professor, and Extension Economist, Texas A&M
The Farm Foundation Transformational Leadership Award: John Foraker, Co-Founder and CEO, Once Upon a Farm
The Farm Foundation Emerging Leader Award: Emily Metz, President and CEO, American Egg Board
The Farm Foundation Innovator of the Year Award: Philip “PJ” Haynie III, Owner/CEO, Haynie Farms/Arkansas River Rice

View the 2023 Awards Ceremony