5 Reasons Why We Support Agricultural Education

As the home of America's Farm Fresh, we understand the importance of our nation's farming community and the vital role it plays in our daily lives.

Bob Evans Restaurants was born Down on the Farm® and farms supply the ingredients that fill our plates, including our famous breakfasts. Supporting the growth and education of future farmers is important, which is why Bob Evans Restaurants supports the National FFA Organization in continuing the tradition of agricultural education in our schools.

Read on for five reasons why we believe supporting agricultural education is important.

1. Agricultural Education is in our DNA

Our founder, Bob Evans, was a family-farmer, entreprenuer and philanthropist. His humble farm beginnings helped him learn about both agriculture and business, which helped him build his iconic food brand and restaurant chain that now spans 18 states. The farm he managed still exists today in Rio Grande, Ohio, and stands as a pillar for his companies, community and legacy.

Bob always encouraged young people to respect their enviroment and embrace their agricultural heritage, as he did. He also actively supported environmental conservation, small farmers and innovative farming methods both in his community and across America.

As Bob knew and advocated for, agricultural education is vital in establishing the next generation of America’s farming community and ensuring food security for our country. Agricultural education’s value extends beyond the curriculum and impacts our everyday world. Learn more about this important programming and ways to support the youth organizations that provide it.

2. Ensures our food supply

Educating today’s youth about agriculture ensures our future food supply and the continuation of a sustainable way of life. Exposing students to agriculture at an early age, specifically to careers in farming and other related pursuits, helps them understand all of the different roles and job opportunities involved with food production and distribution, and hopefully pique their interest.

Agricultural education doesn’t just teach children how to plant, grow and harvest, it also helps them understand the role of agriculture in the well-being of society. From putting food on our tables at home to supplying our restaurants, food security contributes to the strength of our nation — but it’s not the only benefit to educating our young people.

3. Provides jobs

Agricultural education helps introduce and build the foundation for a career – and creating jobs benefits our economy. According to the National FFA Organization, agriculture is the nation’s largest employer with more than 23 million jobs. Of the 2 million farms across the U.S., according to the 2017 U.S. Census of Agriculture, 96 percent are family-owned and operated and 88% of those are small family farms. Just like Bob and his family, so many families across the U.S. rely on their farms as their main source of income – consistently relying on skilled workers to help sustain and operate their farms on a daily basis.

Additionally, on those family-owned farms, the average age of the principal operator is 58-years-old, which means retirement is likely on the horizon – and this is where we look to the next generation to soon take over.

4. Inspires innovation

By educating young minds and allowing them the opportunity to dream and experiences to explore, we are inspiring innovation that will help make our farming practices more efficient and sustainable for the future.

In order to help inspire the next generation of farmers and cultivate the spirit of innovation that brings the freshest food to our restaurants, we established a partnership with the National FFA Organization, a youth organization that prepares its members for leadership and careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture through agricultural education.

To further pay homage to Bob’s roots as both a farmer and entreprenuer, we kicked off the partnership last year by funding Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) grants for high school FFA students. SAE projects provide students the opportunity to learn more about agriculture, as well as how to run an agricultural-based business — further preparing them for their future careers in agriculture by providing valuable hands-on experience.

To help fund these SAE grants, we hold an annual fundraiser called 'Egg Crack, Give Back', on Give FFA Day during National FFA Week in February.

5. Prepares future leaders

The skills students learn from agricultural education programs ultimately sets them up for success in whatever career path they pursue. In addition to learning about farming practices and the role of agriculture in society, students also learn important leadership skills such as public speaking, writing, networking, advocacy and financial management.

Learn more

To learn more about Bob Evans Restaurants’ partnership with the National FFA Organization here: https://www.bobevans.com/ffa. To learn more about Give FFA Day and National FFA Week, please visit FFA.org/national-ffa-week.

* Available in all states where Bob Evans Restaurants is located except for North Carolina and New Jersey.

** Up to a maximum $15,000 will go to the National FFA Organization to support the National FFA and the 2021 SAE grants. Purchase is not tax deductible as a charitable contribution as the customer will receive goods or services equivalent to the purchase price for each item purchased.