John Deere Foundation announces $18.5 million Farm-to-Plate strategy

The John Deere Foundation has announced an $18.5 million, multi-year Farm-to-Plate strategy that will support Feeding America partner food banks.

As part of a $17 million commitment to Feeding America and a $1.5 million partnership with The Farmlink Project, the Foundation will help recover surplus produce, build direct pathways that connect farmers with food banks and mobilize John Deere employees to address hunger in their home communities.

Over $13 million of the $18.5 million commitment will support food security efforts across Iowa, including a new farm to food bank initiative that will connect more than 100 local farmers directly with regional food banks.

“Through our Farm-to-Plate strategy, we’re excited to build on John Deere's decades-long support of food banks while helping farmers play an even bigger role in addressing hunger,” said Deanna Kovar, President, Worldwide Ag & Turf Division for Production and Precision Ag at John Deere. “Farmers have a long tradition of supporting their communities. By connecting them directly with food banks, we're creating new opportunities for producers and helping more families access nutritious food closer to home.”

The Foundation is committing $17 million over three years to Feeding America to expand access to nutritious food, support food banks nationwide and create new opportunities for farmers and food banks to work together.

The Feeding America commitment includes:

• A new "Farm to Food Bank" Initiative in Iowa will help three food banks significantly expand existing partnerships with Iowa farmers, growing participation to over 100 producers, and creating new market opportunities for farmers while connecting more locally grown food with families facing hunger.
• National Sourcing and Distribution Support: Multi-year funding will expand food sourcing capacity and strengthen distribution networks across the Feeding America nationwide network of 250+ food banks, 20+ statewide food bank associations, 10+ regional co-ops and 60,000+ agency partners, food pantries and meal programs.
• Mobilizing Employee Volunteerism:An initiative will bring John Deere employees together to pack meals and support local hunger-relief efforts where they live and work. From 2026 to 2029, about 22,000 employees are projected to help pack 1.8 million meals. Volunteer meal-packing events are company-supported and take place during paid working hours, ensuring that employees can actively give back.

“America grows a lot of good food, and farmers know their communities,” said Denis McDonough, CEO of Feeding America. “Our job is to make sure more of that food can reach neighbors who need it. John Deere’s investment will help food banks build stronger, more direct relationships with farmers in Iowa and across the country while strengthening the systems that move fresh food where it can do the most good. That is the kind of partnership this moment requires.”

The John Deere Foundation is investing $1.5 million over three years in The Farmlink Project to help recover surplus food from farms across America and redirect it to communities experiencing food insecurity. Over the three-year grant period, the investment is expected to deliver:

• 6.4 million pounds of rescued fresh produce
• 5.3 million meals delivered to food-insecure communities across the country (according to the USDA, 1.2 pounds is the equivalent of one meal)
• More than 273,000 individuals with increased access to fresh, nutritious food
• 30 to 60 farming operations supported across multiple states

“Too much of America’s fresh food still never leaves the farm,” said Eliza Blank, CEO of The Farmlink Project. “With this grant from John Deere, The Farmlink Project can continue building a more resilient supply chain that keeps good food in circulation, supports farmers when markets fail, and ensures millions of pounds of fresh produce reach people instead of landfills.”

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com.