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Farm Foundation Honors Four Leaders in Food and Agriculture in Annual Awards
Four agricultural and food leaders have been recognized for their outstanding contributions to economics, animal health, teaching, and plant genetics with a prestigious 2024 Farm Foundation award. In their second year of an expanded slate, the Farm Foundation Awards recognize lifetime achievement and innovation aligned with Farm Foundation’s mission to build trust and understanding at the intersections of agriculture and society.
The recipients announced today are:
- R.J. Hildreth Public Policy Award: Jayson Lusk, Vice President and Dean, Oklahoma State University, Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
- Transformational Leadership Award: Robert Fraley, Former Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Monsanto Company
- Emerging Leader Award: Yangxuan Liu, Associate Professor, University of Georgia
- Innovator of the Year Award: Stephen Adejoro, Director, Livestock Industry Foundation for Africa
“We received a remarkable range of inspiring nominations for this year’s awards, and these four individuals stood out for their exceptional contributions,” said Tim Brennan, vice president of external relations at Farm Foundation. “Their dedication to tackling critical issues in food and ag is vital to improving our food system.”
Previous recipients of the annual Farm Foundation Awards include Joe Outlaw, Regents Fellow, professor, and extension economist, Texas A&M; John Foraker, co-founder and CEO, Once Upon a Farm; Emily Metz, CEO and president of the American Egg Board; and Philip “PJ” Haynie III, owner of Haynie Farms LLC in Arkansas.
The awards, which originated through a public nomination process, will be presented to the recipients at Farm Foundation’s upcoming Round Table meeting in Broomfield, Colorado, on June 20th. Nominations for the 2025 awards program will open in October of this year.