If you attended the National FFA Convention & Expo this past month, you know that Culver’s was on a mission to celebrate the hard work and accomplishments of every FFA member by treating everyone who stopped by the CSX booth to a scoop of delicious Fresh Frozen Custard.

Our goal was to hand out at least 30,000 scoops of Fresh Frozen Custard, topping the 20,000 scoops we served at last year’s convention.

Jeff Meyer

What you may not know is that not only did we exceed that goal by serving 30,800 scoops but that Jeff Meyer, the Culver’s franchisee responsible for making it happen, is also an FFA alum.

The best part? Jeff is not alone in his affiliation with FFA. We have franchisees and team members across the country who were involved in FFA, and they are passionate about doing their part to support ag education and encourage others to give back to FFA through our Thank You Farmers program.

To date, our restaurants and guests have come together to donate more than $1.6 million for FFA and other agricultural organizations. And it’s all made possible because our restaurant owners like Jeff believe in you and in what FFA empowers you to do.

Jeff recognizes the importance of agriculture because he had the good fortune of growing up around it. He was born and raised on a farm and was a member of the Rushville, Indiana, FFA chapter.

As an owner of eight Culver’s with his wife, Kristina, and with his agricultural background, Jeff understands the important roles farmers play in his business–and in all of our lives. He believes that agricultural classes should be part of each school’s curriculum to teach students about where their food comes from, and he would love to see an FFA chapter in every high school.

As urban development continues to increase and schools cut funding for agricultural programs, Jeff, together with our other franchisees across the country, realizes that Culver’s has opportunities to step up and make a difference for FFA members. Here are just a few ways we’ve worked hard to support FFA since 2013:

• 390+ blue jackets donated to deserving FFA members
• $37,000 donated through the FFA Essay Contest
• $140,000+ raised on Scoops of Thanks Day, our annual daylong fundraiser where guests donate $1 (or more) to FFA in exchange for a scoop of Fresh Frozen Custard
• $950,000+ raised from local restaurant fundraising efforts

To date, Jeff’s restaurants have raised over $50,000 for local FFA chapters and other ag programs. But fundraising isn’t Jeff’s only goal. He’s also working to educate his guests about the importance of farming and the need to support students pursuing ag careers.

“Whether it’s tomorrow, two days, 10 years or 20 years from now, FFA members are our future,” Jeff says, “and we need to get them excited about the awesome opportunity they have.”

Visit www.Culvers.com/farmers to learn more about how Culver’s franchisees and team members across the country support you. You can read about the different ways FFA chapters team up with their local restaurants to fundraise.