DES MOINES, Iowa —
The John Deere Foundation is committing $18.5 million over three years to help Feeding America partner food banks across the U.S. get more nutritious food, create new markets for farmers and pack more meals.
More than $13 million will support food security programs in Iowa, where a new initiative is expected to connect the Food Bank of Iowa, Northeast Iowa Food Bank and River Bend Food Bank with more than 100 farmers.
Food Bank of Iowa president and CEO Tami Nielsen said food pantries offer fresh produce, eggs and milk, but those products can be difficult to keep in stock.
“Right now, those are the items that cost the most at the grocery store,” said Nielsen following Tuesday morning’s announcement.
The funding will support national food sourcing and distribution, employee volunteer events and a new Farm to Food Bank initiative in Iowa.
Under the Iowa initiative, the Food Bank of Iowa, Northeast Iowa Food Bank and River Bend Food Bank will receive money for three years. The Farm to Food Bank initiative is expected to expand the number of Iowa farmers and producers the food banks buy food from 20 to 117.
Nielsen said the food banks will receive the funding beginning in November.
“So we will start really working through who those farmers and producers are that line up that can work with us,” said Nielsen.
The effort is intended to give food banks more direct access to locally produced food while creating additional markets for farmers.
Brewer Family Farms LLC in Dallas Center has sold beef and pork to the Food Bank of Iowa through another program since 2024. Emily Wynn, a member of the family farm team, said the new initiative could provide needed support to producers facing financial pressure.
“It’s hard to farm right now, and money is really tight,” said Wynn. “So to be able to have another outlet and to be able to work with the food bank and food pantries that have money to give to us as farmers and purchase locally is going to help a lot of us.”
Wynn said the partnership also gives farmers confidence that the food they produce is reaching people who need it.
“That it’s actually in somebody’s house and it’s being able to feed them and give them nutrients and be able to provide that protein is something that I think is great,” said Wynn.
The strategy also includes employee meal-packing events. John Deere projects that about 22,000 employees will help pack 1.8 million meals from 2026 to 2029. The company-supported events will take place during paid working hours.
“People can go out of their office and go meal pack alongside their peers, but also learn about food insecurity,” said Taryn Edgin, president of the John Deere Foundation.
The $1.5 million partnership with The Farmlink Project will focus on recovering surplus food from farms before it goes to waste. Over three years, the partnership is projected to recover 6.4 million pounds of fresh produce and provide the equivalent of 5.3 million meals nationwide.
It is also expected to increase access to fresh food for more than 273,000 people and support 30 to 60 farming operations in several states.
John Deere said most of the $18.5 million commitment is directed toward Iowa because a significant share of the company’s U.S. workforce is based in the state.
