Some milestones are about the number. Others are about the people who helped you get there.
For Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation, our 40th anniversary celebration was a little bit of both.
The evening brought together many of the people who have been part of Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation’s story, including representatives from Minnesota Corn, Compeer Financial, Midwest Dairy, Northarvest Bean Growers Association, Minnesota Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Minnesota Turkey Research & Promotion Council. We were also honored to welcome Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen and Al Withers, Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom’s very first Executive Director who remained with the organization until his retirement in 2016.
Having Al with us was a special reminder of just how far the Foundation has come. From its early years to the work happening in classrooms across Minnesota today, Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation has continued to grow because people have believed in the importance of agricultural literacy and chosen to support it.
The People Behind the Mission
A celebration like this would not be possible without the many people who have contributed to Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation over the years.
We are grateful for every board member who has helped guide the Foundation, including both current and former board members whose leadership and vision have shaped its direction. We are also thankful for every investor who has helped provide the resources to grow its reach, and every staff member and support team member who has contributed their time and talents to the mission.
We are also grateful for the many partners who have stood alongside Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation throughout the years. Their support has helped create opportunities for students and educators to learn about agriculture and understand its connection to their everyday lives.
Seeing so many of those partners, supporters, staff, and former board members together in one room made the evening especially meaningful.
Looking Ahead
While the evening gave us a chance to celebrate where Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation has been, it also reminded us that the story is far from finished.
The people who have helped build Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation are part of its foundation. The partners supporting the organization today will help shape what comes next. And the educators and students Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation reaches will carry agricultural literacy into the future.
We are incredibly thankful to everyone who joined us to celebrate and to everyone who has helped Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation reach this milestone.
Forty years is worth celebrating. But what we are most grateful for is the community of people that made it possible.
Join us in harnessing agricultural knowledge for a brighter tomorrow.
Together, let's cultivate an agriculturally literate society and empower future generations with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the vital role agriculture plays in our daily lives.
