Key Takeaways
- The John Deere Foundation committed $18.5 million to a multiyear Farm-to-Plate strategy that links farmers with food banks.
- Feeding America, the national food bank network, receives a $17 million commitment over three years.
- More than $13 million of the total will support food security efforts across Iowa.
- The John Deere Foundation commitment equals 51.5% of the charitable payouts it reported for its latest federal filing year.
The John Deere Foundation announced an $18.5 million multiyear Farm-to-Plate strategy on October 13, 2026, with a $17 million, three-year commitment to Feeding America. The strategy aims to help recover surplus produce and link farmers directly with food banks. More than $13 million of the total will support food security efforts across Iowa.
Where the $18.5 Million Goes
The foundation's release says the strategy will help recover surplus produce, build direct pathways connecting farmers with food banks, and mobilize John Deere employees to address hunger in their home communities. Surplus produce means fresh fruits and vegetables that farms grow beyond what they can sell. The release names Feeding America as the recipient of a $17 million commitment that runs over three years. That money is meant to expand access to nutritious food, support food banks across the country, and create new opportunities for farmers and food banks to work together.
The Iowa portion includes a new farm to food bank initiative that will connect more than 100 local farmers directly with regional food banks, according to the release. Deanna Kovar, president of John Deere's Worldwide Ag and Turf Division for Production and Precision Ag, said in the release: "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," She added that connecting farmers directly with food banks helps more families reach nutritious food closer to home.
How the Commitment Compares With the Foundation's Giving
The foundation's most recent federal filing is a Form 990-PF, the annual tax return private foundations file with the IRS, covering the fiscal year that ended in October 2024. That filing reports $35,909,273 in charitable disbursements, meaning money the foundation paid out to charities during the year. The $18.5 million total equals 51.5% of that payout figure. The same filing reports $172,015,476 in net assets, which means total assets minus debts, so the commitment equals 10.8% of that balance. Because the Feeding America commitment runs over three years, the comparison is best read against one year of payouts.
What Iowa Farmers and Food Banks Stand to Gain
Iowa Capital Dispatch reported that food insecurity increased in every Iowa county over the past year. It cited national data showing that 1 in 8 Iowans, about 12.4%, are food insecure. The more than $13 million for Iowa is meant to support food security efforts across the state, including the farm to food bank initiative.
Emily Wynn, a farmer with Brewer Family Farms, told Iowa Capital Dispatch that her family has been selling pork products, like chorizo, to Food Bank of Iowa since 2024, when the food bank received funding for local purchases through the state-led Choose Iowa program. She described the opportunity this way: "These are the types of opportunities that allow us, as those that are coming into owning the farm one day, the ability to hopefully keep it and own it until we're in our late 70s and 80s, and then be able to give it on to the next generation,"
Iowa Capital Dispatch also reported that Choose Iowa allocated $200,000 in matching funds to Iowa food banks in 2025 to buy proteins, dairy, small grains, flour and honey from member farms. Farmers have called for more local food funding since a federal procurement program was cut in 2025.
People Also Ask
How much is the John Deere Foundation committing to food banks?
The John Deere Foundation is committing $18.5 million to a multiyear Farm-to-Plate strategy. That total includes a $17 million, three-year commitment to Feeding America, and more than $13 million will support food security efforts across Iowa.
What does Feeding America receive from the John Deere Foundation?
Feeding America receives a $17 million commitment from the John Deere Foundation over three years. The commitment is meant to expand access to nutritious food and support food banks across the country.
What is the John Deere Foundation Farm-to-Plate strategy?
The Farm-to-Plate strategy is a John Deere Foundation effort to recover surplus produce and connect farmers directly with food banks. It also mobilizes John Deere employees to address hunger in their home communities.
Sources: Morning Ag Clips, Iowa Capital Dispatch.