To show appreciation for the honest work and tireless commitment in Midwest farming communities, agriculture industries and grocery/retail establishments, Smithfield, Virginia-based Farmland is launching its Honoring the Heartland Tour. The 13-week mission will honor the unsung heroes of the agri-food chain and highlight the fundamental role the heartland plays by delivering grab-and-go meals and providing monetary donations to support the next generation of farmers.
The Farmland Honoring The Heartland Tour food truck will complete two to three stops per week at various locations rooted in Midwestern neighborhoods. In addition to distributing meals, the Smithfield Foods brand will be donating to the National FFA Organization throughout the tour to assist in its vision to grow leaders, build communities and strengthen agriculture at the local, state and national levels.
The tour kicked off recently with a $25,000 donation to FFA’s “Living to Serve” platform, a program that empowers students to make a positive impact in their community through service engagement, and a $5,000 donation to the Missouri FFA Association. As part of the donation event in Gladstone, Missouri, the Farmland food truck also supplied lunches to essential grocery store employees – a token of the brand’s gratitude for working during this past year to ensure neighbors still had access to fresh food.
“Localized farming and agricultural communities are the backbone of our nation’s food supply, and Farmland’s safe, affordable and quality products made from pork raised on American farms are a testament to the hard work and outputs from our partners in this industry,” said Erin Thacker, brand manager for Farmland. “We’re excited to launch the Honoring the Heartland Tour to give back to the unsung heroes of the agricultural community who work tirelessly to keep our country fed, and to help ensure the next generation of farmers are equipped for success through our partnership with the National FFA Organization.”
The National FFA Organization is a school-based national youth leadership development organization of more than 760,000 student members as part of 8,700 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“We are thankful for Farmland’s ongoing support of the National FFA Organization’s mission,” said Molly Ball, chief marketing officer for National FFA Organization and president of the National FFA Foundation. “We’re happy to join in honoring the unsung heroes of farming and agriculture, many of whom are former FFA members.”
In the brand’s continued efforts to give back, Farmland is an official partner of country superstar Luke Bryan’s Farm Tour this fall. In its 12th year, Farm Tour is set to play on six farms from Sept. 9 -18 as Bryan and his team set up stages in the fields of local farmers. The tour serves as a way to celebrate and support local farming communities, with proceeds from the concerts going to college scholarships for students from farming families.
For more information and to see where the Farmland Honoring the Heartland Tour goes next, follow on Facebook (@FarmlandFoods), Instagram (@farmlandfoods) or Twitter (@FarmlandFoods).
