Celebrating Our 2024 “To Farmers With Love” Winners

Through our Thank You Farmers® Project, we’re proud to celebrate and recognize the farmers working each and every day to feed our growing population in our annual To Farmers With Love Contest. Each year, the contest invites community members to nominate farmers who go above and beyond in feeding our communities, making a difference in the lives of others and positively impacting the future of agriculture.

In 2024, we were thrilled to celebrate a record-breaking thirty outstanding winners and one grand prize winner from across the country. Meet some of the remarkable farmers we are excited to honor this year!

Angela TenBroeck – Worldwide Aquaponics, Jacksonville, FL

Angela TenBroeck’s journey into agriculture is deeply rooted in her family's history. For the past four generations, her family has been leading innovation in greenhouse farming. With a background in medicine and health, Angela’s passion for clean, sustainable farming led her to explore aquaponics, a sustainable farming method that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to grow plants and fish together. She says the ability to grow food and sell it locally is a great feeling and that farming with sustainability in mind allows them to grow amazing foods, all while protecting the future generations to come.

Angela is actively involved in her community, working closely with FFA chapters across the region to assist teachers and students interested in learning more about aquaculture, hydroponics, biodiversity and conservation practices.

Rod Beenken – Beenken Family Farms, Tintonka, IA

Rod was born and raised on his family farm in Tintonka, Iowa, where he was involved in all things farming from an early age. For most of his youth, he participated in his local 4-H club, laying the foundation for his future career path. Rod's passion for farming continued through his four years in FFA during high school and ultimately helped lead to his decision to start farming in 1986.

Rod remains deeply engaged with his local community, frequently attending county fairs to support local youth organizations and participate in FFA events like pancake suppers and greenhouse plant sales.

When asked what piece of advice he would share with future agricultural leaders, Rod said, "Have faith in what you’re doing" – advice that may seem simple, but has helped him get to where he is today.

Jeannette Sheehan – Sheeknoll Farms, Rochester, MN

Jeannette was born and raised on a dairy farm in Minnesota, where she got the opportunity to work alongside her family and fall in love with farming at a very young age. She attributes her work ethic and passion for the industry to her parents, who gave her the opportunity to experience various aspects of farming as she learned the ins and outs of producing food to feed her community.

When asked what she finds most rewarding about farming, Jeannette says she feels fulfilled by creating quality products.

“I feel there’s a real need for sustainability right now in the world – and I feel like I’m doing a really important part of supplying that in the food chain,” Jeannette said. “It’s really important to take care of what we were given and be able to pass that along to the generations to come and leave it in a really healthy, good state.”

Jeannette and her family are dairy farmers in Rochester, Minnesota, where they’re actively involved in their community and mentoring the next generation of agricultural leaders. When Jeannette found out she had been selected as the 2024 To Farmers With Love Contest grand prize winner, she was “shocked.”

“This is really saying thank you to farmers,” Jeannette said. “This is noticing farmers. I’m so grateful for [Culver’s] support, and their ability to show me that I am appreciated and that farmers do matter.”

We’re proud to recognize farmers like Angela, Rod and Jeannette who make a difference in the agriculture industry each and every day. Their dedication to educating their communities and implementing sustainable farming techniques ensures a promising future for agriculture!

Discover how you can get involved in supporting our current and future leaders in agriculture by learning more about our Thank You Farmers® Project.