Iowa Corn Partners with FFA Chapters to Bring Harvest Lunches to Southern Iowa Farmers

This harvest season the Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB) partnered with FFA Chapters across Southern Iowa to bring more than 1,000 lunches to farmers as they worked to bring in their crops. 

District 9 partnered with FFA programs in Washington, Mediapolis, Keota, and Davis Counties to serve more than 350 meals. District 7 sponsored harvest meals in the towns of Red Oak, Fontenelle, Clarinda, Shenandoah, Greenfield, Corning and Mount Ayr. The FFA Chapters of Red Oak FFA, Nodaway Valley FFA, Davis-Martin FFA, Southwest Valley FFA, Clarinda Browne FFA and Mount Ayr FFA served 100 meals at each town.

“This gave us a chance to thank our local producers for their efforts in supporting our organization and their local communities,” explained Iowa Corn District Field Manager Alyssa Preston. “It was great to see the initiative from the FFA students in making this happen.”

FFA members delivered the boxed lunches directly to farmers in the fields as well as some chapters stopped at grain terminals to deliver the meals to semi-trucks waiting in line to take back to their harvest crews still in the fields.

“A couple of FFA students in our chapter approached me with the idea,” said Trent Steinhart, Washington FFA Advisor. “I gave them the go ahead and they asked Iowa Corn to be the sponsor. The coolest part was seeing the interaction between the students and the local grain farmers in the area. Just being able to meet with them for that short period of time to deliver lunches proved to be an extremely valuable opportunity for our FFA students. We will absolutely consider doing this program again next year and the students have even begun brainstorming how to improve and expand it for next year.”

This serves as just one way the Iowa Corn collaborates at the grassroots level. To learn how you can become engaged in Iowa Corn, go to www.iowacorn.org.

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The Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB), works to develop and defend markets, fund research, and provide education about corn and corn products. The Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) is a 7,500-member strong grassroots-driven organization, headquartered in Johnston, Iowa, serving members across the state, and lobbying on agricultural issues on behalf of its farmer members to create opportunities for long-term Iowa corn grower profitability. For more information, visit iowacorn.org.