Farm Foundation is no stranger to collaborations and partnerships. For 70 years, we have leveraged our staff and financial resources by working with organizations and agencies to address issues critical to the economic health of agriculture, the food system and the people of rural America.

The impact is enormous—from supporting groundbreaking work on farm labor to providing farmers, academicians, agribusiness leaders, policymakers and legislators objective information for informed decision-making. Financially, every $1 Farm Foundation invests generates well over $6 in investment from partnering organizations.

Experience isn’t Farm Foundation’s only reason for sponsoring the conference, Multi-State Cooperation in Land Grant University Agricultural Programs. The role of agricultural institutions is one of six program areas identified by the Farm Foundation Board of Trustees. We seek to “identify new institutional arrangements with the potential to service agriculture and the food system more effectively in today’s global and fast-changing economy.”

That was exactly the purpose of our October 2003 conference. More than 75 deans and directors of academic, research, Extension and international programs spent two days identifying a framework of strategies to maximize the benefits of collaborative programs.

Making that framework a reality depends in large part on you. As stakeholders, legislators and senior university administrators, you have a crucial role in the success of any collaborative work. We ask that you give thoughtful consideration to the information presented here and support collaborative work by your state.

Walter Armbruster
President, Farm Foundation