FARMLAND® CELEBRATES FFA MEMBERS WITH $20,000 DONATION TO SUPPORT THE NEXT WAVE OF FARMERS AND AGRICULTURAL PROFESSIONALS

The High-Quality Protein Provider Recognized Recipients of its Farmland FFA Heartland Grant Program at the 95^th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis

SMITHFIELD, Va., Oct. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Earlier today, Farmland^® proudly announced the recipients of its Farmland FFA Heartland Grant Program at the 95th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis, Indiana. After receiving applications, 20 FFA students across Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, and Missouri were carefully selected to receive grants valued at $1,000 each to fund agricultural and community projects. The donation is providing a total of $20,000 in financial support to empower students' goals and inspire growth in the agriculture industry. 

The Farmland FFA Heartland Grant Program was launched this summer as an extension of the high-quality protein brand's second-annual Honoring the Heartland Tour. To demonstrate its continued commitment to partners in the industry, Farmland embarked on year two of its food truck tour to show appreciation to hardworking farming communities with grab-and-go meals, invest in the next generation of agricultural leaders, and support neighborhoods rooted in the Midwest through protein-rich food donations.

During the truck tour, Farmland served over 7,500 community meals to Heartland residents, donated $150,000 to FFA at the national and state-level, and provided more than 245,000 servings of protein to benefit Heartland neighborhoods. Farmland also teamed up with the National Pork Board and Luke Bryan's Farm Tour to supply truckloads of protein to local food banks in Iowa, Nebraska, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Minnesota, bringing the product donation total for this year's tour to an estimated one million servings of protein. 

“Over the past months, Farmland witnessed firsthand the extraordinary efforts of invaluable individuals and organizations working in farming and agriculture across the heartland, from local retailers to regional food banks and state fairs,” said Jessica Scarlett, senior associate brand manager for Farmland. “We’re proud to further our commitment to the next generation of agriculture enthusiasts by providing $1,000 grants to 20 students rooted in the Midwest. We’re inspired by the hard work and heart exemplified from this year’s grant recipients and excited to see what comes next.”

“We’re constantly proud of the dedication of our talented FFA members and the enthusiasm they bring each and every day,” said Molly Ball, president for the National FFA Foundation and chief marketing officer for the National FFA Organization. “This generous donation will equip our students with much-needed resources so that they can stay focused on achieving their ambitions and making a valuable impact within the industry. We extend our sincerest gratitude to the team at Farmland for helping make this possible.”

For more information, follow Farmland on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter @FarmlandFoods and visit www.farmlandfoods.com.

About Farmland
Founded in 1959, Farmland is the maker of high-quality, flavorful meats. Rooted in rich traditions of America's heartland, Farmland is committed to a strong work ethic, community, substance over flash, and wholesome, quality food that people feel good about serving. Farmland's robust portfolio of products includes varieties of bacon, sausage, ham and lunch meat. For more information about our products and recipe inspiration, please visit www.FarmlandFoods.com or follow us on Facebook (@FarmlandFoods), Instagram (@farmlandfoods) or Twitter (@FarmlandFoods). Farmland is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

About Smithfield Foods, Inc.
Headquartered in Smithfield, Virginia, since 1936, Smithfield Foods, Inc. is an American food company with agricultural roots and a global reach. With more than 60,000 jobs globally, we are dedicated to producing "Good food. Responsibly.^®" and serve as one of the world's leading vertically integrated protein companies. We have pioneered sustainability standards for more than two decades, including our industry-leading commitments to become carbon negative in our U.S. company-owned operations and reduce GHG emissions 30% across our entire U.S. value chain by 2030. We believe in the power of protein to end food insecurity and have donated hundreds of millions of food servings to our communities. Smithfield boasts a portfolio of high-quality iconic brands, such as Smithfield^®, Eckrich^® and Nathan's Famous^®, among many others. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com, and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. 

About National FFA Organization
The National FFA Organization is a school-based national youth leadership development organization of more than 850,000 student members as part of 8,995 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. For more, visit the National FFA Organization online at FFA.org and on Facebook and Twitter.

About National FFA Foundation
The National FFA Foundation builds partnerships with industry, education, government, other foundations and individuals to secure financial resources that recognize FFA member achievements, develop student leaders and support the future of agricultural education. A separately registered nonprofit organization, the foundation is governed by a board of trustees that includes the national FFA president, educators, business leaders and individual donors. For more, visit FFA.org/Give.

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SOURCE Smithfield Foods, Inc.