We believe taking care of our people and communities requires action. Learn how we invest in OSHA certifications, give back with scholarship programs, and maintain the Leading Harvest Sustainability Standard.
SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
Scholarship
As a demonstration of our commitment to our communities and people, we provide annual scholarship opportunities to the next generation of agricultural stewards. Our recipients demonstrate commitment to the societal, environmental, health, or economic growth of rural communities.
Applications generally come out in May each year and are due in July. They will be posted here when available.
WOMEN IN AGRIBUSINESS SPONSOREE: ELISE LOPEZ
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Responsibly managing a large and diverse farmland portfolio requires a talented team, made up of individuals with varied backgrounds, skills, and unique experiences. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are core to who we are at Oak River Farms, both in our offices and on our farms.
While we work to become a more inclusive company ourselves, we will work to expand and diversify agribusiness as an industry, like sponsoring college students in programs such as Women in Agribusiness.
Community Project Fund
As an expression of our desire to be a good neighbor, we annually award funds to projects that would provide societal, environmental, health, or economic benefit to those communities we operate in. Several of the projects funded recently include:
- purchasing livestock pens for the Suwannee County, FL Youth Livestock Show,
- buying an automated pump control system for LSU’s Red River Research Station as part of a research study to evaluate how these systems can help protect the Mississippi Valley Alluvial Aquifer,
- and acquiring a thermal imaging camera for a rural fire department in Nebraska to allow firefighters to detect people in homes quickly and safely.
Leading Harvest
Leading Harvest is a nonprofit organization at the vanguard of advancing sustainable agriculture, providing assurance programs comprised of standards, audit procedures, training and education, and reporting and claim offerings that are optimized for flexibility, scalability, and impact.
From growers to consumers, we’re empowering sustainability leaders everywhere to share and adopt better practices now, so that we all can grow a healthier future for generations to come.
The Leading Harvest Farmland Management Standard is the inaugural standard of Leading Harvest designed to optimize sustainable farmland management as part of a comprehensive assurance program. Created by diverse stakeholders, the Standard is flexible and adaptable so it can scale across all geographies, crop types, and management systems. It is scientifically-rooted and users of the Standard can achieve certification through rigorous, independent third-party auditing.