Taking ag appreciation to the arena

March 23, 2023 | Brock Johnston

Iowa agriculture was front and center this week, this time at Des Moines’ Wells Fargo Arena.

The Iowa Soybean Association (ISA), in partnership with the Iowa Food & Family Project (Iowa FFP) and the Iowa Wolves, the Des Moines-based NBA G League team, celebrated National Ag Week on the court.

The March 22 game gave a nod to agriculture, appropriately named “Ag Night”. The event represented the ongoing efforts to shrink the farm-to-table divide by bringing agriculture’s story to familiar places for many consumers, including the sports arena.

While enjoying the athletic prowess of the Wolves, fans saw firsthand how agriculture impacts their daily lives. Visitors interacted with several displays presented by the Iowa FFP and several commodity organizations, including the Iowa Egg Council and Midwest Dairy.

The event was the perfect place to share more about the many facets of Iowa agriculture, says Alyson Fendrick, marketing communication manager at Midwest Dairy.

“It was great to see our dairy ambassadors, who represent our industry’s future leaders, engage directly with consumers,” says Fendrick. “Experiences like Ag Night give us the opportunity to generate conversations about the nutritious benefits of dairy so consumers can make informed food choices.”

At the Iowa FFP booth, guests spun a trivia wheel to test their knowledge of agriculture, snag unique prizes, and learn more about the people and places responsible for healthy, locally grown foods.

Last month, Iowa soybean farmers joined players, coaches, and staff from the Wolves for a tour of John Deere Des Moines Works (JDDMW) in Ankeny to launch the partnership.

The Iowa FFP involves a collaborative network of nearly 35 food, farming and healthy living organizations who are proud of Iowa’s homegrown foods and hometown values. The initiative is funded by the soybean, pork, beef, egg, corn, turkey and dairy checkoffs, as well as non-checkoff resources.

To learn more, visit iowafoodandfamily.com.

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