Agriculture Future of America

What Agriculture Future of America does

Agriculture Future of America (AFA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1996 and headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, that develops collegiate leaders for the food and agriculture sector. Its core programs include the annual Leaders Conference held in Kansas City, six specialized Leader Institutes (Precision Agriculture, Plant Science, Sustainability, Animal, Food Systems, and Policy), a Student Advisory Team, an Ambassador Program, Campus Champions, and the Cultivating Leaders Podcast. The organization awards individual scholarships ranging from $1,600 to $3,200 and has cumulatively distributed more than $11.5 million in scholarships while delivering over 26,000 leader development experiences to students at 200+ colleges across 43 states; participation has grown 28% over the past five years.

The technology platform supporting these programs is a Salesforce-based member/student portal, supplemented by QuestionPro for survey instrumentation — there is no evidence of proprietary AI, ML, or advanced analytics capabilities. AFA operates a two-sided model: students receive programming and scholarship funding, while the revenue side is sustained by corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and individual donations. Flagship partners include Cargill, ADM, BASF, and CHS Foundation at the $200,000+ sponsorship level, with an extended roster spanning Bayer, Bunge, Corteva, Farm Credit, John Deere, Valent, Merck, Land O'Lakes, AGCO, and others across the agricultural value chain.

Operationally AFA runs with 11–50 employees and is led by President Lynn Parman, who joined in 2026 in conjunction with the organization's 30th anniversary. Its Charity Navigator top-rated status, multi-decade brand equity, and embedded relationships across universities and corporate sponsors form the structural basis for ongoing fundraising and student pipeline growth.

Name

Agriculture Future of America

Legal name

Agriculture Future of America

Website

https://agfuture.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Agriculture Future of America is a Kansas City-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1996, that provides scholarships, leadership institutes, and career programming to college students pursuing careers in the food and agriculture sector.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Leadership Development

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Land-Grant–Like/Extension-Oriented Private Research Universities (Applied Outreach) (EDAHABAK)

Keywords

• Agriculture leadership development
• Student scholarship programs
• Career development conferences
• Agriculture talent pipeline
• Nonprofit youth programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Kansas City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Corporate Sponsorships: Agriculture companies and corporations invest in AFA at various tiers (from $1,000 to $200,000+) to access student talent, build brand awareness, and support the agriculture talent pipeline.
2. Foundation Grants: Foundations including CHS Foundation, Sunderland Foundation, and others provide grants and major gifts to support scholarships and program operations.
3. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute through Day of Giving campaigns and other fundraising initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Agriculture Future of America provides academic scholarships ($1,600–$3,200) to high school seniors and undergraduates pursuing agriculture, food, or natural resource degrees, paired with admission to the annual AFA Leaders Conference in Kansas City. It also runs six specialized Leader Institutes (Animal, Plant Science, Sustainability, Policy, Food Systems, Precision Agriculture) that give students hands-on career exploration with industry partners, supported by the Student Advisory Team, Ambassador Program, and Campus Champions network across 200+ U.S. colleges. Alumni engagement continues through AllianceX professional development events and Destination Alliance international travel experiences.

Product overview

Agriculture Future of America operates as a nonprofit organization providing a unified portfolio of leadership development programs for students in food, agriculture, and natural resources industries. The core offerings include scholarships (awards of $1,600-$3,200), the annual AFA Leaders Conference, and six specialized Leader Institutes (Precision Agriculture, Plant Science, Sustainability, Animal, Food Systems, and Policy). Student engagement is facilitated through the Student Advisory Team, Ambassador Program, and Campus Champions. Alumni continue involvement through Alliance programs including AllianceX and Destination Alliance international travel experiences. The organization also produces The Cultivating Leaders Podcast as a content resource.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AFA Scholarships

Quantifiable outcome

• 28% increase in program participation over 5 years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• CargillflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor investment partner ($200,000+) supporting AFA programs and scholarships. Cargill leadership (Jarrod Gillig, President, Business Operations and Supply Chain) serves on the AFA Board of Directors.
• ADMflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerInvestment partner ($200,000+) and sponsor of AFA programs. Manda Tweten, President of Strategic Customers at ADM, serves as a Lifetime Member of the AFA Board.
• BASFflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerInvestment partner ($200,000+) supporting scholarships and programs. Scott Kay, VP U.S. Crop at BASF, serves on the AFA Board. BASF participates in Day of Giving matching campaign.
• BayercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerInvestment partner ($100,000+) with Katie Robertson, VP Customer Experience, on the AFA Board. Supports student development and industry engagement.
• John DeerecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerInvestment partner ($100,000+) with Jon Chase, VP of Marketing & Shared Services for Ag & Turf, on the AFA Board.
• CortevacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerInvestment partner ($100,000+) with Adrianna Ratterman, VP of US Eastern Cornbelt Commercial Unit, on the AFA Board.
• Farm CreditcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerInvestment partner ($100,000+) with Kate Lambert, Senior VP of Marketing, on the AFA Board. Supports Day of Giving matching campaign.
• Merck Animal HealthcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting partner for the AFA Animal Institute (over 100 students). Scott Bormann, SVP North America, serves on the AFA Board.
• Land O'LakescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerInvestment partner ($50,000-$99,999). Julie Sexton, Senior VP and CHRO at Land O'Lakes, serves on the AFA Board.
• ValentcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerInvestment partner ($100,000+). Matt Plitt, President and CEO of Valent, serves on the AFA Board. Supports Day of Giving matching campaign.
• National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Sustainability Institute, bringing together students for environmental and conservation leadership development.
• International Fresh Produce AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRebeckah Adcock, VP of U.S. Government Relations at IFPA, serves on the AFA Board.
• Texas A&M UniversityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChris Skaggs, Associate Vice Chancellor for Stakeholder Relations and Associate Dean at Texas A&M, serves on the AFA Board.
• University of Arkansas Division of AgricultureminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDeacue Fields, VP of Agriculture, serves on the AFA Board representing land-grant university perspective.
• Global PrairieminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJenny Spurgeon, Managing Director and Agriculture Practice Group Chair, serves on the AFA Board.
• AgCareersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAgriculture-focused job board where AFA posts career opportunities. Investment partner at $25,000-$49,999 level.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• National FFA Organization: The largest U.S. student organization preparing youth for careers in agriculture, food, and natural resources. Directly comparable to AFA as an agricultural youth leadership pipeline, though FFA is primarily high-school focused while AFA targets the college stage.
• National 4-H Council: A youth development organization with deep agricultural roots (4-H historically stands for Head, Heart, Hands, Health). Comparable to AFA as an agriculture-focused youth leadership and career pipeline, though 4-H spans a broader age range and topics beyond agriculture.
• Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS): A national society that develops collegiate students pursuing careers in agriculture and related fields, with scholarship, leadership, and professional development programming that closely mirrors AFA's model.
• American Royal Association: A Kansas City-based nonprofit running agriculture events, education, and youth programs. AFA's incoming President Lynn Parman was previously President & CEO of American Royal; the two organizations serve overlapping agricultural audiences and rely on similar corporate sponsorship models.
• Agriculture Council of America: A nonprofit organization focused on increasing public awareness and education about agriculture. Comparable to AFA in mission (agriculture education and promotion) and in nonprofit/corporate-sponsor funding model.
• National Agriculture in the Classroom: A nationwide agricultural literacy program for K-12 educators and students. Comparable to AFA as an agriculture-education nonprofit, though AFA focuses on the college segment and National Agriculture in the Classroom targets K-12.
• National Young Farmers Coalition: A national advocacy and support network for young and beginning farmers. Comparable to AFA in target demographic (young people entering agriculture) and in building a national pipeline of agriculture leaders through nonprofit programming.
• Alpha Gamma Rho: A national professional-social agriculture fraternity for college men pursuing careers in agriculture, food, and fiber industries. Comparable to AFA in serving the college agriculture student demographic with leadership and professional development programming.
• Alpha Zeta: A professional agriculture honor and service organization for college students. Comparable to AFA as a college-stage agriculture leadership organization providing networking and career development.

Broad incumbents

• American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture: The education and youth-focused arm of the American Farm Bureau Federation. Comparable to AFA in running agriculture education and scholarship programs, though it operates as part of a much larger federation with broader policy and lobbying scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/agfutureamerica
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/AgFuture
• Facebookfacebook.com/agriculturefutureofamerica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/agriculture-future-of-america
• Instagraminstagram.com/agfutureamerica

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Agriculture Future of America