AFB Foundation for Agriculture: 50 Years and Growing

By Cyndie Shearing

The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture reached a significant milestone in 2017 – 50 years since its founding. In the beginning the Foundation focused primarily on research for advancing agricultural mechanization and technology. With that goal accomplished, the focus on ag education was strengthened and is currently the lifeblood of the Foundation.

Simply put, the Foundation is working to rebuild the bonds of trust between American consumers and the people who proudly grow their food, fiber and energy. But help is needed to ensure this work can continue. Please consider supporting Foundation efforts to improve agricultural education and literacy with a year-end charitable donation.

Not sure what the Foundation does or the type of resources your donation will support? Check out 15 fantastic Foundation offerings – many of which are free thanks to the generosity of donors like you – below.

Food and Farm Facts. Discover how to use the Food and Farm Facts series (book, map poster, classroom activity guides and more) to help others learn about where their food comes from and agriculture in the U.S.

The Purple Plow Maker Space Challenge. Using science, technology, engineering and math resources, students are encouraged to research scenarios related to food, hunger and sustainability and build prototypes to solve a defined problem.

My American Farm. Online education about agriculture through 24 interactive computer games, e-comics, videos, lesson plans and other activities.

The Pillars of Agricultural Literacy. A tool that provides a framework for agricultural literacy throughout life.

Food & Ag Resource Guide. A curated list featuring top recommended resources for various age groups aligned to the Pillars of Agricultural Literacy.

Free Resources and Lesson Plans. Downloadable activities and lesson plans about agriculture and links to additional education materials.

Ag Links List. Links for news about agriculture and resources for education and community building.

Addressing Misconceptions. A free online learning tool that will help you dive into conversation about important questions related to agriculture.

Recommended Publications. Publications (organized by reading level) that include reliable information and meet today’s standards of agricultural learning.

Bringing Biotech to Life. An educational resource for grades 7-10.

Sustainable Agriculture. Sustainable agriculture is the production of food, fiber or other plant or animal products using farming techniques that protect the environment, public health, human communities and animal welfare. Learn more through an online learning experience.

Learn About Beef. Learn about beef with engaging education resources including apps, games, downloads and lesson plans.

Energy Resources. Discover the power of energy education and the unique connections to agricultural literacy with free classroom resources. Each unit provides five comprehensive, standards-based lesson plans and supporting resources.

Get Involved in Ag Literacy. Easy ideas on how to increase awareness and understanding of agriculture in your community.

Barn Banners. Easily transform a portion of your fair or farm into a learning area for visitors with easy-to-use, educational roll-up banners.

Secure online donations are easy to make through the Foundation website. Any donation, no matter how small, helps the Foundation create materials and get them into the hands of educators and students.