Utah’s Miracle of Agriculture Foundation, County Farm Bureaus Partner to Provide Protein to Food Pantries

Utah Farm Bureau's Miracle of Agriculture Foundation is making significant strides toward its goal of providing protein to food pantries in the state, while also giving a boost to 4-H, FFA and local ranchers.

The initiative's successful pilot program with North and South Box Elder County Farm Bureaus resulted in the delivery of protein from animals purchased at the Utah State Fair to three local pantries in early 2025. The county Farm Bureaus also raised funds to provide financial support to the pantries, multiplying the impact of the partnership.

Following that success, the Miracle of Agriculture Foundation partnered with Carbon and Emery County Farm Bureaus, which delivered protein, also from animals purchased at the Utah State Fair, to two pantries in their area.

Additional counties joining the initiative in 2025 included Wasatch County and Salt Lake County. In total, in 2025, the Miracle of Agriculture Foundation, in partnership with local Farm Bureau leaders, donated 20,650 pounds of high-quality protein to 10 pantries across the state.

These early counties provided a blueprint for the initiative: The county Farm Bureau purchases animals from local 4-H and FFA participants through junior livestock auctions, typically at the Utah State Fair or a county fair, and pays to have it processed through the Miracle of Agriculture Foundation. The Foundation then works with county Farm Bureaus to donate the meat to a local pantry - or pantries.

Local Partnerships are Essential

Key to the effort's success are county Farm Bureaus and their volunteer leaders. As the boots on the ground, they are known and trusted in their communities.

"Their local knowledge, connections and willingness to serve have opened doors with pantries, families and youth participants, helping the program grow stronger and make a real difference at the local level," said Clayton Beckstead, executive director of the Utah Farm Bureau's Miracle of Agriculture Foundation.

Providing More Than Protein: Leadership Development and Community Engagement

Utah Farm Bureau regional managers had an important role as mentors to county leaders, helping them build confidence in reaching out to local pantries, coordinating purchases at livestock auctions and organizing donation events. This experience not only strengthened the impact of the program in the community, but it also provided valuable leadership development opportunities to Farm Bureau volunteers, helping Utah Farm Bureau in one of its core goals: growing leaders within Farm Bureau.

The effort also highlighted farmers', ranchers' and Utah Farm Bureau's commitment to local communities and feeding people.

"By connecting the dots between youth programs, local agriculture and food pantries, the project has created goodwill and strengthened Utah Farm Bureau's presence across the state," Beckstead said. "It has also provided an important educational element, helping counties and communities better understand where their food comes from and the vital role agriculture plays in their lives."

State Awards of Excellence

The Miracle of Agriculture Foundation's partnership with county Farm Bureaus to provide protein to food pantries across Utah was recognized with a 2026 Award of Excellence in the Coalitions & Partnerships category. The award was presented at the 2026 American Farm Bureau Convention in January in Anaheim.