The FFAR Board of Directors held the Foundation’s 10th annual Public Conversation on September 19, 2024. This year’s event was held virtually with 115 attendees. The Public Conversation is an opportunity for the public and members of the food and agriculture community to hear from FFAR’s leadership and interact with them during the public comment and Q&A session.
This year marks FFAR’s 10th anniversary and the event provided an overview of FFAR’s history, examples of the Foundation’s impacts and great remarks from USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. It was a dynamic event with engaging comments and questions from the public.
A full recording of the Public Conversation is available on FFAR’s YouTube channel.
During this year’s conversation, FFAR’s Board Vice Chair and Vice President of Michigan State University’s Office of Research and Innovation Dr. Doug Buhler highlighted FFAR’s early years and the steps the Foundation has taken to get where it is today. USDA Secretary Vilsack provided prerecorded remarks on the important complementary collaboration between FFAR and the USDA and the exciting new projects they are partnering on. Dr. Saharah Moon Chapotin, FFAR’s executive director, provided examples of the impacts of FFAR’s work over the decade, the Foundation’s actions to continue providing stakeholders with the best service possible and an overview of where FFAR plans to grow.
At the time of the event, FFAR had awarded 398 grants with a matching ratio to 1:1.4 and allocated $775 million in funding. FFAR’s 2023 Impact Report, Cultivating Actionable Solutions, highlights recent breakthroughs, ranging from decision tools to guide swine producers through adopting mortality-reducing strategies, high-fiber wheat varieties now being used in everyday products and expanded Tribal food sovereignty.
FFAR received numerous thoughtful public comments from members of the food and agriculture community. All comments were shared with the FFAR Board.
View slides from the event.