The John Deere Foundation is committing $18.5 million over multiple years to a Farm-to-Plate strategy that builds direct supply pipelines between farmers and food banks — a model with meaningful implications for how the broader food system handles surplus product and local sourcing.

The largest piece of the investment — $17 million — flows to Feeding America, the nationwide network of 250-plus food banks, 60,000-plus agency partners, and affiliated meal programs. A centerpiece of that commitment is a new Iowa-focused initiative that will connect more than 100 local farmers directly with regional food banks, creating new market channels for producers while moving locally grown food to families facing hunger. The remainder of the Feeding America funding will expand sourcing capacity and strengthen distribution infrastructure across the national network.

The Farmlink Partnership

The Foundation is pairing the Feeding America grant with a $1.5 million, three-year investment in The Farmlink Project, a national nonprofit that coordinates transportation of surplus produce from farms to food banks and community organizations. Over the grant period, the partnership is projected to recover 6.4 million pounds of fresh produce, deliver 5.3 million meals to food-insecure communities, and extend fresh food access to more than 273,000 individuals. Between 30 and 60 farming operations across multiple states are expected to benefit from the arrangement.

"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."

What It Means for Food System Operators

For operators and supply chain professionals tracking food recovery and local sourcing trends, the Farm-to-Plate model is a practical demonstration of how direct farmer-to-distributor relationships — typically the domain of farm-to-table restaurant programs — can be scaled through institutional frameworks. More than $13 million of the total commitment is earmarked for food security efforts within Iowa alone, signaling a concentrated regional strategy rather than a diffuse national grant.

Deanna Kovar, President of the Worldwide Ag & Turf Division for Production and Precision Ag at John Deere, framed the initiative as an extension of agriculture's community role. "By connecting them directly with food banks, we're creating new opportunities for producers and helping more families access nutritious food closer to home," she said.

The initiative also incorporates an employee volunteerism component, with approximately 22,000 John Deere employees projected to help pack 1.8 million meals between 2026 and 2029 during company-supported, paid-hours events — a corporate engagement model increasingly referenced in hospitality and foodservice corporate responsibility programming.

Feeding America CEO Denis McDonough underscored the structural value of the farmer-food bank connection. "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," he said.

The John Deere Foundation, established in 1948, has directed more than $400 million in charitable contributions toward hunger relief, education, and community development over its 75-plus-year history.

Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.