Seeding Hope: How IAS Employees Put Stewardship Into Action
Dec 19, 2025
At Innovative Ag Services, stewardship is more than a value we talk about. It’s something our employees live out every day in the communities we serve.
This fall, IAS employees across our service territory came together for the Seeding Hope Food Drive, demonstrating the power of partnership, initiative, and cooperative spirit. Through this collective effort, IAS locations gathered 2,200 food items, which were delivered to seven local food banks and pantries across Northeast Iowa.
In addition, IAS donated $2,200 to the Northeast Iowa Food Bank, matching the number of items collected. Because every dollar donated provides five meals, this combined effort helped deliver 12,145 meals to families facing food insecurity. Once matching funds are finalized after the new year, that impact could grow to more than 23,000 meals provided to our communities.
Stewardship Rooted in Community
This initiative reflects one of IAS’s five core values: Stewardship, with a focus on Our Community—actively supporting social responsibility initiatives and encouraging employee involvement.
As a farmer-owned cooperative, IAS understands that strong agriculture depends on strong communities. When employees are empowered to lead, collaborate, and give back locally, the results extend far beyond a single event.
Food donations were distributed directly to local food banks and pantries, where volunteers and staff shared their appreciation for the support during a critical time of year.
Powered by People and Partnerships
What made the Seeding Hope Food Drive especially meaningful was the creativity and ownership shown by IAS employees. Across locations, teams worked together to rally coworkers, growers, and partners in support of the cause.
In Oran, employees leaned into trusted supplier relationships to amplify their impact. Contributions from BASF, Corteva, and Verdesian helped fuel additional food purchases, sending the team on more than one grocery run and resulting in the collection of 1,063 food and personal hygiene items—the highest total among all locations.
This kind of collaboration reflects the heart of a cooperative: people and partners working together for the greater good.
Growing the Impact
While this was IAS’s first food drive in several years, the success of Seeding Hope makes one thing clear—the foundation is strong, and the potential is even greater.
IAS looks forward to growing this initiative in the years ahead by continuing to encourage employee involvement, strengthening partnerships, and finding new ways to support the communities we proudly call home.
Because stewardship doesn’t end at the edge of the field.
It lives in our towns, our neighbors, and the people we serve—together.
Together, we’re seeding hope.
This fall, IAS employees across our service territory came together for the Seeding Hope Food Drive, demonstrating the power of partnership, initiative, and cooperative spirit. Through this collective effort, IAS locations gathered 2,200 food items, which were delivered to seven local food banks and pantries across Northeast Iowa.
In addition, IAS donated $2,200 to the Northeast Iowa Food Bank, matching the number of items collected. Because every dollar donated provides five meals, this combined effort helped deliver 12,145 meals to families facing food insecurity. Once matching funds are finalized after the new year, that impact could grow to more than 23,000 meals provided to our communities.
Stewardship Rooted in Community
This initiative reflects one of IAS’s five core values: Stewardship, with a focus on Our Community—actively supporting social responsibility initiatives and encouraging employee involvement.
As a farmer-owned cooperative, IAS understands that strong agriculture depends on strong communities. When employees are empowered to lead, collaborate, and give back locally, the results extend far beyond a single event.
Food donations were distributed directly to local food banks and pantries, where volunteers and staff shared their appreciation for the support during a critical time of year.
Powered by People and Partnerships
What made the Seeding Hope Food Drive especially meaningful was the creativity and ownership shown by IAS employees. Across locations, teams worked together to rally coworkers, growers, and partners in support of the cause.
In Oran, employees leaned into trusted supplier relationships to amplify their impact. Contributions from BASF, Corteva, and Verdesian helped fuel additional food purchases, sending the team on more than one grocery run and resulting in the collection of 1,063 food and personal hygiene items—the highest total among all locations.
This kind of collaboration reflects the heart of a cooperative: people and partners working together for the greater good.
Growing the Impact
While this was IAS’s first food drive in several years, the success of Seeding Hope makes one thing clear—the foundation is strong, and the potential is even greater.
IAS looks forward to growing this initiative in the years ahead by continuing to encourage employee involvement, strengthening partnerships, and finding new ways to support the communities we proudly call home.
Because stewardship doesn’t end at the edge of the field.
It lives in our towns, our neighbors, and the people we serve—together.
Together, we’re seeding hope.