Cultivating Connections
Capital Campaign
The Food + Farm Exploration Center represents a unique opportunity to change public perceptions about food and agriculture. Partnering with us to create a unique place that utilizes advanced technology to educate and exhilarate will introduce thousands of people annually to the reality of production agriculture and its role in feeding the growing global population.
Learn more about the campaign that brought us to this point by watching our video.
Campaign Goal: $41 Million
Join us and help us grow a legacy.
Giving Levels
LEGACY – $5,000,000+
VISIONARY – $2,500,000 TO $4,999,999
SUSTAINER – $1,000,000 TO $2,499,999
INNOVATOR – $750,000 TO $999,999
STEWARD – $500,000 TO $749,999
PRODUCER – $250,000 TO $499,999
HARVESTER – $100,000 TO $249,999
GROWER – $50,000 TO $99,999
TILLER – $25,000 TO $49,999
SPROUT – $10,000 TO $24,999
SEEDLING – $5,000 TO $9,999
SEED SOWER <$5,000
Donor Testimonials
BOB and CHERI GUENTHNER
Guenthner Potato Company, Inc - Antigo, Wisconsin
We whole heartedly endorse the “Food and Farm Exploration Center.” The Center represents the best opportunity for us to tell our own story about modern production agriculture.
People want to know where their food comes from and understand how it is produced. People are no longer connected with the food they eat. The distance between grower and consumer is increasing. Those of us in agriculture find that even our family, friends and neighbors don’t grasp this story. We must be the ones to tell the story, teaching it to the next generation of consumers.
The Center is the perfect place to tell our story in our own words. Dick Okray said it best, “Far from being a museum, the center will be an ever-changing technology and training hub, a place for workforce development, education, and tourism as well as conferences, meetings and so much more. It is certain that this investment will showcase every aspect of the food chain necessary to bring healthy and safe food to the world.” The Center will be in Plover. It is on the ideal site on Hwy 39 in the center of the state.
For our entire lives, agriculture has been very good to us and our family. Our donation to this project was a way for us to give back to farming and at the same time pay it forward to the future. We have made a generous contribution to the “Farming for the Future Foundation” to fund the Center. We encourage you to do the same.
DICK and CAROL OKRAY
Okray Family Farms and Edward J. Okray Foundation - Plover, Wisconsin
We were intrigued when we first heard of the Food and Farm Exploration Center. We have witnessed first-hand how our friends and neighbors seemed to have no idea the breadth and scope of our life’s work. As an ancient, yet still nascent and quickly evolving industry, agriculture’s complexity has grown faster than ever, and the need to explore, expand and explain it has never been greater.
We realize how much being dedicated to our vocation has rewarded us, both financially and personally. The connections with people and the environment have given us much for which to be thankful. It was with that in mind that we chose to give back by making a large financial contribution to the project.
It is certain that this investment will showcase every aspect of the food chain necessary to bring healthy and safe food to the world. Far from being a museum, the center will be an ever-changing technology and training hub, a place for workforce development, education and tourism as well as conferences, meetings and so much more.
We hope that you’ll consider giving to this most noble of projects as we have. It is the perfect way to reap all that we have sown!
Our Campaign Donors
Legacy – $5,000,000+
Richard and Barbara Pavelski
Visionary – $2,500,000 to $4,999,999
Heartland Farms, Inc.
Pavelski Family Foundation
State of Wisconsin Grant
Sustainer – $1,000,000 to $2,499,999
Bushman’s, Inc.
Frito-Lay North America
Worzella & Sons, Inc.
Innovator – $750,000 to $999,999
AgCountry Farm Credit Services
Compeer Financial
Edward J. Okray Foundation
Steward – $500,000 to $749,999
Dan and Julie Hartung
McCain Foods
Reinke Manufacturing Co., Inc.
Seneca Foods Corporation
Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association / Wisconsin Potato Industry Board
Producer – $250,000 to $499,999
BMO Harris Bank
The Davisson Family
Del Monte Foods, Inc.
Dwight and Linda Davis Foundation
Hansen-Rice / McGowan Rice Construction
IncredibleBank Foundation, Inc.
John Deere
New Holland Agriculture
Nicolet National Bank
North Central Irrigation, Inc.
Oxbo
Alicia, Jeremie & Charlotte Pavelski
Pavelski Farms
Michelle and Chris Peariso
Paul and Dawn Roberts
Swiderski Equipment
TOMRA Sorting, Inc.
Valmont Industries
Versatile
Dennis J. and Bettilee B. Zeloski
Harvester – $100,000 to $249,999
Allied Cooperative
Alsum Farms & Produce, Inc.
Michael Smith & Associates - Ameriprise Financial
Wayne Bushman / Bushman Electric
Coloma Farms
Steve and Pat Diercks Family - In memory of Bob and Ruth Diercks
Les and Rosemary Dobbe
Fermented Food Holdings
B.A. and Esther Greenheck
Bob and Cheri Guenthner
Gumz Farms, LLC - Roderick, Michelle, Richard, & Linda Gumz
Gyroscope
Helbach Farms, LLC
JAMR Investments
Jerry Knutson Memorial Fund
J.H. Findorff & Son, Inc.
J.W Mattek & Sons
Dave and Patty Knights
Lindsay Corporation
The Little Potato Company
Nelson Irrigation Corporation
Oh Snap! Pickling
Okray Family Farms
Richard and Carol Okray
Prevail Bank
Roberts Irrigation Company
Rural Mutual Insurance and the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation
Sand County Equipment, LLC
Schroeder Brother’s Farms, Inc.
Sentry Insurance Foundation
Service Motor Company
Silgan Containers, LLC
Dianne and Nick Somers, Plover River Farms Alliance
Volm Companies, Inc.
Grower – $50,000 to $99,999
Big Iron Equipment, Inc.
Chippewa Valley Bean Co.
The Davisson Family Children - In honor of Nana and Papa Pavelski
GP Ventures LLC
Guenthner Potato Co. Family
Hyland Lakes Spuds
Joe and Cindy Kinsella
Lemken USA
Lineage Logistics
Myron M. Soik & Sons, Inc.
Progressive Ag Systems - Ray Grabanski & Penney Hammer
Ron’s Refrigeration and Air Conditioning
Ruder Ware, L.L.S.C
Signature Farms, LLC
Skyward
Solarus
Sowinski Farms, Inc. - In honor of Alvin and Shirley Sowinski and David and Betty Sowinski
Stuczynski Trucking & Excavating, Inc.
Garn and Debbie Theobald
Steve and Judy Theobald
Robert and Sue Walther - Walther Family Farms
Warner & Warner, Inc.
Tiller – $25,000 to $49,999
Allen Supply Company, Inc.
Baginski Farms, Inc. - In honor of Ted Baginski Jr.
Mark and Patricia Bula and Family
CoVantage Credit Union
CSS Farms / Tasteful Selections / RPE
Delta Dental of Wisconsin
Gagas Farms, Inc.
Hooper Corporation
Jay-Mar, Inc.
J.R. Simplot Company Foundation
Justmann Land Company
Lyco Manufacturing, Inc.
Keith & Hellen Masser
Midwest Food Products Association (MWFPA)
Joe and Julie Nagel and Family - In Memory of John and Rita Nagel from Family and Friends
Oasis Irrigation
Paul and Barbara Palmby
David Parish
Schierl Tire and Service Centers
Seramur Family Foundation Inc.
Sklarcyzk Seed Farm
Stevens Point Brewery
WE Energies Foundation
Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association—Associate Division
Wisconsin Public Service and Corporation
Wysocki Family of Companies
Sprout – $10,000 to $24,999
Advanced Farm Equipment, LLC
Anderson O’Brien, LLP
Appleton Lathe Corp
Baker Tilly
Milt Carter and Chris Carter
Benjamin and Nicole Creamer
Flowserve Corporation - Pump Division
Adam and Carolyn Flyte
Raymond and Joan Grabanski
Penney Hammer - In memory of Tom Hammer
Bob and Helen Helbach
Kraze Trucking
Chad and Jennifer Malek - Specialty Potatoes & Produce, LLC
MetLife Foundation
Nelson’s Vegetable Storage Systems
Omni Glass
Gregg and Reinie Ruffalo
Glen Seidl
Andrea and Paul Speth
Streich Equipment Co., Inc.
Wisconsin Seed Potato Improvement Association
Al and Kim Wondzell
Seedling – $5,000 to $9,999
American Agricultural Insurance Company
Bio-Gro
C & D Rural Insurance
First State Bank
Epicurean Cutting Surfaces
Tamas and Paula Houlihan
Dave Meihak
Dan and Julie Merk
Paul and Barbara Palmby - In memory of Larry Palmby
Peter Pelizza
The Portage County Bank
Reabe Spraying Service, Inc.
Randy and Mary Jo Tenpas
T H Agri-Chemicals, Inc.
Jack and Barb Whitlam
Zinda Insurance Group — a Rural Mutual Insurance Company
Seed Sower <$5,000
Altmann Construction Co., Inc.
Associated Bank
Bula Potato Farms
Cooper Oil
Demco
Karen Dunham
Feltz’s Dairy Store
Russ Groves
Helm Agro
Hoffman Hay & Grain, LLC
Insight FS
IRS of Wausau, Inc.
KARMAR, LLC
MaryAnn Lippert
Arthur Littlefield
Mortenson Bros. Farms
Patrykus Farms, Inc.
Paul Miller Farms, Inc.
Point of Beginning, Inc.
Quinlan’s Equipment
Scott Scheer
Seis Family Farms
William and Bonnie Spear
Steel King Industries, Inc.
Linda and Kent Syth
Tourism Commission Town of Plover
Tristeel Manufacturing Company
Rich Wilcox