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Farm Credit is grateful for the farmers who raised the grain, fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy and nuts that will find their way to dining room tables across America this Thanksgiving.

As winners of the People’s Choice Award in the Farm Credit One Mission. Many Voices. video contest, the Slomchinski’s won $10,000 to distribute to local causes of their choosing. They chose to split the funds between three organizations they felt make a difference in their community. 

The California Forest Foundation’s long-running Talk About Trees program educates young people about the benefits of sustainable forestry. Talk About Trees provides balanced, science-based information about the environmental, economic and societal uses of forest resources for present and future generations.

The National Farm to School Network strives to close the gap between youth and the food that they eat through outdoor garden education, classroom learning focused on food and farming and local food procurement in school cafeterias. 

Fewer young people are aware of the multitude of careers and opportunities within the agricultural sector. That’s why Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) strives to help students discover how agriculture, engineering and technology relate to the world around them.

Farm Credit’s commitment to supporting rural communities and agriculture means ensuring rural entrepreneurs have the tools they need to overcome barriers and grow their businesses, right in rural America. That’s why Farm Credit has partnered with the American Farm Bureau Federation to present the 2020 Ag Innovation Challenge, now accepting applications through September 30.

The National FFA Organization believes in the value of community service as a means of addressing local concerns, while also understanding the need for service to be situation-specific and collaborative. Unifying these perspectives, FFA established Living to Serve, a competitive grant program that funds FFA chapters’ service-learning projects and allows students across the country to propose service projects that are tailored to the needs of their own communities. 

The National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization (NAITCO), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Farm Credit partner each year to honor kindergarten through 12th grade teachers from around the country for the innovative ways they use agricultural concepts to teach reading, writing, math, science, social studies, STEM/STEAM and more.

​“We are at a crossroads with the average age of farmers today, so the focus on young, beginning and small farmers is incredibly important,” Thompson said. “That’s what I appreciate about Farm Credit - they provide assistance to those who are just starting out or are the first person in their family to enter into agriculture.” ​