"The Ivy League Farmer" helps fund weekend meals for K-6 school-age kids
The premiere of a feature film about modern agriculture and food security issues raised more than $250,000 for a volunteer-driven program in Iowa that provides weekend meals for kindergarten through six grade school-age children in need.
The Ivy League Farmer premiere showings, June 5-7 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, raised money through agricultural and local business sponsorships and public ticket donations. One hundred percent of all sponsorship funding and donations were targeted for the volunteer-driven Operation BackPack project, administered by the non-profit Hawkeye Area Community Action Program (HACAP) active in six eastern Iowa counties.
Through Operation BackPack, school children identified by their teachers and school nurses as "food insecure" receive a backpack on Friday that contains quality food items for the weekend. With better nutrition over the weekend, kids returning to school on Monday are better able to concentrate on learning.
"Food safety, sustainability, and affordability are critical issues," said Jeff Cannon, President and CEO of Cedar Rapids based nutritional health company Diamond V. "Food security is a growing concern, too.
"Even though the U.S. has one of the safest and most affordable food supplies in the world, 15 percent of Americans suffer from food insecurity. Even in Iowa, one of the top agricultural states, there are communities where one in four school-age children get their only meal of the day at school."
Cannon said it's a challenge to help the public better understand the real choices ahead as farmers work to produce enough safe, sustainable, affordable food.
In order to increase public awareness of food security issues and improve knowledge of modern agriculture, Diamond V became a founding member of Farming to Fight Hunger, the non-profit organization that planned and funded the movie. The Ivy League Farmer is the group's first project.
The movie tells the story of a father and son in conflict over the family dairy operation and the part modern farming technology can play in determining the future of the farm. It's also a love story played out against the backdrop of a small community that comes together to grow a thoughtful idea into a sustainable solution for local kids who are not getting enough to eat.
Diamond V organized the Operation BackPack Benefit, which exceeded its fundraising goal by more than 25 percent. Cannon presented a check to HACAP at the celebratory event, which featured one of the country music's most admired groups, Sawyer Brown. The benefit concert entertained more than 2,000 guests on June 5 in Cedar Rapids. Sawyer Brown lead vocalist Mark Miller wrote and co-produced The Ivy League Farmer.
Most of the world's land suitable for farming is already in production, Cannon has pointed out. He added that an estimated 70 percent of future increases in food production capacity must come from new and improved agricultural technologies.
"Family entertainment like The Ivy League Farmer can raise public awareness about food insecurity and modern farming technology as well as the farmers who devote their lives to meeting the growing need for food."
Fundraising for Operation BackPack Benefit continued with the Feed the Kids Awareness Exhibit, also organized by Diamond V at the Cedar Rapids Downtown Farmers' Market on June 6. The Exhibit featured the "Drive to Feed the World Chew on This!" national interactive road show. HACAP volunteers and Diamond V staff answered questions from the public about Operation BackPack and promoted premiere showings of the movie on Saturday and Sunday.
The Ivy League Farmer, directed by Tom Weber and co-produced by Mark Miller and brother Frank Miller, stars Randy Wayne, Janine Turner, Terry Serpico, Ashley Nicole Anderson, Christopher Knight, and Christopher Douglas Reed as "Lester." Watch the movie trailer and find photos of the June 5-7 premiere events at http://www.diamondv.com/media/farming-to-fight-hunger/.
Headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA, Diamond V is an international leader in nutritional health products for animals and people with offices around the world and sales in nearly 60 countries. More than 70 years of science, innovation, technology, and quality have earned Diamond V the reputation of The Trusted Experts in Nutrition and Health®. The company's Embria Health Sciences subsidiary in Ankeny, Iowa manufactures EpiCor®, the human nutritional supplement that provides research-proven immune support.
6.10.2015