MISSION
Provide education, training, and resources to make farm, ranch, and rural life safer and healthier for all children and their communities.
VISION
No child would become ill, injured, or die from farm, ranch, and rural activities.
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER BRIAN KUHL
As I reflect on this past year, I am filled with immense gratitude and pride for what we have achieved together. In 2023, the Progressive Agriculture Foundation® (PAF) continued our mission of increasing accessibility and expanding program reach across North America and the Oceania regions for the Progressive Agriculture Safety Day® (PAF Safety Day). This annual report offers a moment to celebrate our collective impact across North America and reaffirm our mission to educate and empower the next generation around safety.
Significant milestones and transformative initiatives marked our journey this past year. In launching a pilot progam for a new PAF Safety Day delivery mode, PAF Safety Zone, coordinators now have the ability to bring PAF curriculum and hands-on experiences to youth at farm shows, conferences, fairs and more.
During our Days-of-Giving campaign, we doubled our money raised in 2022 by sharing a real account of a farm-related incident, underscoring the importance and need of rural safety education for children.
One of the most exciting milestones of 2023 was surpassing two million individuals reached through PAF Safety Day programs. As we near our 30th Anniversary, I am excited to see the program growing, reaching more children in new communities.
While we continue to provide potentially life-saving education centered around youth safety and well-being, we understand that all of us must remain vigilant in this mission. No matter where – on farms, ranches, and in rural communities – children involved in agriculturerelated accidents and fatalities continue to arise in headlines all across North America. Still, we remain steadfast and hopeful that with our community, Foundation Staff, and Board of Directors, we will protect the next generation of leaders.
2023 PROGRAM STATISTICS
TOP TOPICS TAUGHT IN 2023
OPPORTUNITIES
4-H VOLUNTEERS
PROVIDING PEER-TO-PEER TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES
While PAF Safety Day lessons are geared towards elementaryschool aged children, leadership experiences are available for teens, involved with 4-H, FFA, and other various youth organizations. Through peer-to-peer teaching and mentorship opportunities, teens can strengthen numerous interpersonal skills, including communication, decision-making, teamwork, empathy, and leadership. Additionally, the PAF Safety Day program can easily coincide with an FFA member’s supervised agricultural experience (SAE) or a 4-H member’s community service-learning initiative. Through participation, the PAF Safety Day program ultimately guides teens to make safer and healthier choices.
PAF SAFETY DAY PROGRAM ACROSS NORTH AMERICA 2023 UNITED STATES
Alabama - 2759
Brewton (2)
Centre
Elberta
Evergreen
Linden
Lineville
Luverne
Perdido
Selma
Tuskegee
Arkansas - 1595
Danville
DeWitt
Harrison
Lonoke
Marianna
Star City
California - 114
Lost Hills
Colorado - 586
Burlington
Monte Vista
Delaware - 217
Laurel
Florida - 430
Pahokee (2)
Sarasota
Georgia - 1284
Ball Ground
Blakely
LaFayette
Rossville
Idaho - 284
Blackfoot
Illinois - 4925
Albion
Altamount
Carlyle
Enfield
Fairfield
Geneseo
Georgetown
Gibson City
Highland
Macomb
Martinsville
Monticello
Mt. Carmel
Newton
Oblong
Olney
Salem
St. Joseph
Stronghurst
Sumner
Indiana - 1168
Leavenworth
Poneto
Shelbyville
Iowa - 6032
Algona
Allison
Ames
Calmar
Charles City
Cherokee
Columbus Junction
Delhi
DeWitt
Edgewood
Emmetsburg
Garnavillo
Grundy Center
Guthrie Center
Hazelton
Hudson
Independance
Manchester (2)
Onawa
Peosta (2)
Rock Rapids
Rock Valley
Rockwell City
Sac City (2)
Sheldon
Vinton
Washington
Kansas - 1918
Ashland
Axtell
Belleville
Caldwell
Courtland
Elkhart
Jetmore
Meade
Phillipsburg
Stockton
Kentucky - 8335
Bowling Green
Brownsville
Cadiz
Campton (2)
Carlisle
Columbia (2)
Elizabethtown
Falmouth
Fountain Run
Glasgow
Greensburg (2)
Hardinsburg
Hopkinsville
Lebanon
Liberty
Monticello
Morgantown (2)
Mt. Olivet
Owensboro
Paris
Russell Springs
Russellville
Scottsville
Sheperdsville
Tompkinsville
Winchester
Louisiana - 886
Bastrop
Franklinton
Mt. Hermon
St. Joseph
Maryland - 5020
Frederick
Minnesota - 683
Bagley
Kasson
Lewiston
Mississippi - 3789
Bude
Columbia
Fulton
Kiln
Lucedale
Moss Point
Natchez
New Albany
Prentiss
Richton
Vancleave (2)
Missouri - 3748
Bowling Green
California
Chesterfield
Climax Springs
Cole Camp
Crocker
Kennett
Lewistown
Moberly
Montgomery City
Pilot Grove
Versailles
Weston
Westphalia
Montana 182
Bainville
Nebraska - 3003
Albion
Beatrice
Cairo
Columbus
Fairbury
Franklin
Geneva
Gordon
Harrison
Minden
Ord
Osceola
Pleasanton
Roseland
Sidney
New Mexico - 2535
Clayton
Clovis
Hobbs
Santa Rosa
New York - 1743
Brushton
Lowville
Penn Yan
Sandy Creek
North Carolina - 2253
Hertford
Stony Point
Sunbury
Troutman
North Dakota - 1625
Bottineau
Carrington
Carson
Devils Lake
Ellendale
Langdon
Linton
Lisbon
Steele
Rocklake
Wahpeton
Ohio - 614
Mt. Gilead
Williamsfield
Oklahoma - 1758
Alva
Checotah
Elk City
Enid
Hobart
Pawnee
Watonga
Oregon - 263
Marcola
Salem
Pennsylvania - 2989
Bradford
Brookville (2)
Clearfield
Danville
Franklin
Hermitage
Millport
Shippenville
Wellsboro
Westfield
South Dakota - 289
Birtton
Lake Andes
Tennessee - 1745
Brownsville
Bulter
Fayetteville
Livingston
Texas - 3522
Archer City
Buffalo
Columbus
De Kalb
Graham
Hereford
Johnson City
Jacksboro
La Grange
Lampasas
San Saba
Scurry
Tulia
Virginia - 178
Harrisonburg
West Virginia - 1195
Grafton
Hinton
Princeton
Summersville
Wisconsin - 908
Auburndale
Blair
Mondovi
CANADA
British Columbia - 175
Farmington
Manitoba - 1911
Altona
Baldur
Beulah
High Bluff
Oakville
Stanley Waywayseecappo
Nova Scotia - 423
Antigonish
Berwick
Oxford
Ontario - 2537
Hamilton
Harrow
Linwood
Petrolia
Port Perry
Ridgetown
Seaforth
Stayer
Teeswater
Thamesford
Tiverton
Walkerton
Wellesley
West Montrose
Quebec - 1404
Coaticook
Cacouna
La Pocatière
Mont-Joli
Saint-Édouard-deLotbinière
Saint-Henri de Taillon (2)
Saint-Prime
Sainte-Françoise
Saskatchewan - 4086
Biggar
Humboldt
Lloydminster
Meadow Lake
North Battleford
Outlook
Swift Current
Unity
Weyburn
Yorkton
TERRITORY
America Samoa - 513
Fagasa
Mapusaga
Poloa
Samoa Baptist Acameny US
FARM SHOWS, CONFERENCES, AND CONVENTIONS
Ignite by 4-H Ultimate Teen Summit Washington, D.C.
Touchstone Energy Conference (NEXT) Ft. Myers, FL
ISASH Tampa, FL
Iowa FFA Summer Conference & Trade Show Ankeny, IA
National Association County Agriculture Agents Des Moines, IA
Midwest Rural Agricultural Safety & Health (MRASH) Conference Debuque, IA
Party for the Planet Debuque, IA
Ag In the Classroom Learning Conference Johnston, IA
Illinois Ag In the Classroom Coordinator Update Bloomington, IL
Illinois Farm Bureau Meeting Chicago, IL
Farm Progress Show Decatur, IL
John Deere Safety and Compliance Engineers Moline, IL
National FFA Convention Indianapolis, IN
The Safe Kids Worldwide Childhood Injury Prevention Convention (PrevCon) National Harbor, MD
Minnesota Farm Fest Morgan, MN
CHS Annual Shareholders Meeting Minneapolis, MN
Husker Harvest Days Wood River, NE
National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals (NAE4HYDP) Pittsburg, PA
Pennsylvania 4-H Animal Science Camp State College, PA
Saskatchewan Association of Agricultural Societies & Exhibitions (SAASE) Convention Moose Jaw, SK
Tennessee Association of Extension 4-H Workers (TAE4-HW) Conference Knoxville, TN
Southeast Conservation District Employees Association Conference
Pigeon Forge, TN
Wisconsin Farm Technology Days Baraboo, WI
Wisconsin EMS Conference Resch Expo Center Green Bay, WI
Wisconsin FFA Convention - Ag Ed Trade Show Madison, WI
PAF Safety Day Farm Show, Conference, Convention
MAKE SAFETY YOUR SUPERPOWER
Lead the charge.
Become a Progressive Agriculture Safety Day Coordinator to bring age-appropriate, hands-on safety and health education to youth in your local community.
Serve as a volunteer.
Join our network of volunteers, from being a group leader to a presenter.
Be a connector.
If a Progressive Agriculture Safety Day program is not currently taking place in your community, you can help advocate and introduce local groups or organizations to the Program.
Share the message.
Sign up to receive updates from the Progressive Agriculture Foundation. By sharing youth-focused safety and health tips from the Program’s social media outlets, as well as in digital and print media – you too can keep safety a top priority.
Support our mission.
Please consider giving today to help provide potentially lifesaving education and resources to local communities – like yours. Your tax-deductible donation will have an impact in helping make farm, ranch, and rural life safer and healthier for all youth.
SUPERHERO SPOTLIGHTS
“Children are impressionable, as well as being our future citizens and leaders. We want them to be safe and to know how to be safe when presented with a situation. If a student learns even just one thing that helps them the event is worth it, and while the safety tip may seem obvious to some, chances are that a child might not have known it until it has been taught to them.”
- Gina Sanberg
PAF Safety Day Coordinator Monmouth, Illinois
“The trusted, credibility of the PAF Safety Day program among the agriculture community, makes gaining local support even easier. Everything to implement the Program is in well packaged, comprehensive approach. The participants also love the t-shirts and take-home bags, which would not be possible with the Progressive Agriculture Safety Day program.”
- Amy Radamaker PAF Safety Day Coordinator Urbana, Illinois
“My community is surrounded by agriculture, and I believe that holding a PAF Safety Day educates and reminds people how fast accidents can happen and helps them better understand the dangers that are present on farms. PAF is a leader in agriculture safety, and I partner with them because of the collaboration and assistance with coordinating these large events.”
- Justin Tucker PAF Safety Day Coordinator Malone, New York
“Our agency works with many different organizations, but I can honestly say the Progressive Agriculture Foundation is my favorite to work with. Questions are answered immediately, and the Program runs very efficiently. It is obvious to me that the Program is run by people who have a legitimate care for the children we reach.”
- Mike Lowe
PAF
Safety Day Coordinator Laurel, Delaware
“The Progressive Agriculture Foundation is a great partner. I never would have considered the volume of impact this Program has when I first started. Now, I could not offer my PAF Safety Day program without our volunteers that are excited to teach the youth about safety. These folks are the reason our Program is so memorable for youth.”
- Greg Highfill
PAF Safety Day Coordinator Alva, Oklahoma
“It is a need in our community, and if the youth listen to the safety and health messages, then they can take that information back home or to school to school to share with others. The hands-on activities are just what youth want and what we provide in Extension to keep the youth’s interest. It’s awesome because it aligns with the K-State Extension and Research guidelines.”
- Rachael Brooke PAF Safety Day Coordinator Stockton, Kansas
“As a past community-based PAF Safety Day participant from 1998 through 2012, I learned during our Progressive Agriculture Safety Days, to avoid unsafe practices in and around our equipment and animals. In 2018, I became a coordinator to encourage all children in our community practice safety. I highly recommend PAF for its curriculum, organizational support, and the resource materials.”
- Stephanie Tobin
PAF Safety Day Coordinator
Ashland, Alabama
VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD BERNARD GESCHKE
From the humble beginnings in 1995 with 19 safety day camps held across the south and Midwest regions of the United States, to now reaching
over two million children and adults across North America, Bernard Geschke has been instrumental in growing the Foundation’s program and helping local communities become safer and healthier. In honor of Geschke’s dedication for nearly 30 years of service, the Foundation has developed the Bernard Geschke Volunteer Service Award to recognize PAF Safety Day Coordinators with 20 years or more of service to the program.
FORMER RECIPIENTS
Sharry Nielsen, Minden, Nebraska
Kayla Hinrichs, Ord, Nebraska
Susan Alexander, Brookville, Pennsylvania
Owida Franz, Clayton, New Mexico
Jane Graves, Olney, Illinois
Sherrie Nestor, Cheyenne Wells, Colorado
Shari Kuther, Nezperce, Idaho
Julie Ferry, Lakota, North Dakota
Suzette Jetton, Kiln, Mississippi
Minnie Posey, Franklinton, Louisiana
Tony Rose, Columbia, Kentucky
Cynthia Wilkinson, Meadville, Mississippi
Lynne Alder, Star City, Arkansas
Cherrie Curtis, New Boston, Texas
Shirley Ewing, Bladen, Nebraska
Tyrone Gentry, Greensburg, Kentucky
Nancy McGrain, Onawa, Iowa
Amy Rademaker, Urbana, Illinois
Tim Roberts, Brownsville, Tennesssee
2023
RECIPIENTS
Brian Sparks Summersville, West Virginia
Teresa Mowrer Guthrie Center, Iowa
Mentoring Opportunities
All lead and assistant PAF Safety Day Coordinators must complete an online, self-paced training course through the PAF Training Center. To help best meet the needs of the PAF Safety Day Coordinators, the PAF program team staff has developed four different levels, including:
• Safety Day Builder, designed for PAF Safety Day Coordinators in their first year
• Safety Day Builder Plus, designed for PAF Safety Day Coordinators in their second year
• Safety Day Builder Proficient, designed for PAF Safety Day Coordinators who have been with the Program for three of more years
• Safety Day Classroom Builder, designed for PAF Safety Day Coordinators who want to deliver programming inside the classroom setting
PAF SAFETY DAY HISTORY
2,031,056
Children and adults reached by completing an official PAF Safety Day program coordinated at the local level.
During National Farm Safety and Health Week in September 2023, we hosted a webinar series that covered a diverse range of topics, each aimed at addressing specific safety and health challenges faced in the agricultural sector with a youth-focus. Led by industry experts and seasoned professionals, these webinars provided invaluable insights and tips that can help make a difference in preventing incidents and ensuring the well-being of farmers, families and youth in rural communities.
2 MILLION INDIVIDUALS REACHED
16,501 PAF SAFETY DAYS
1,607,055 PARTICIPANTS
351,269 VOLUNTEERS
PARTNERS, SPONSORS, AND DONORS
5-STAR PARTNERS ($100,000 OR MORE)
4-STAR PARTNERS ($60,000 - $99,999)
3-STAR PARTNERS ($40,000 - $59,999)
2-STAR PARTNERS ($25,000 - $39,999)
1-STAR PARTNERS ($15,000 - $24,999)
CONTRIBUTING PARTNERS (UP TO $14,999)
AgCountry Farm Credit
AKE Safety Equipment
Alabama Power Foundation
Apache Industrial Services
Association of Equipment Manufacturers
BASF Agricultural Solutions
Brandt Foundation
Canadian Agriculture Safety Association
CoBank
GROWMARK
Iowa City - Old Capital Kiwanis
Iowa Farm Bureau Foundation
Krone North America
Land O’ Lakes Foundation
MacDon Industries
National Shooting Sports Foundation
Rabo Agrifinance
Rain and Hail LLC
ServisFirst Bank
Syngenta
Target Circle - Guest Directed Giving Program
The Andersons Inc.
The Caring Foundation of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama
The Wonderful Company
Unverferth Manufacturing Co.
U.S. Custom Harvesters
Workplace Safety & Prevention Services
IN-KIND SPONSORS
Canadian Agriculture Safety Association
Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health
DTN/Progressive Farmer
JA Country LLC (Market Talk Ag Podcast)
The Wonderful Company
GRANTS
USDA NIFA Mental Health Network GrantMidwest Region
PARTNER MILESTONES
$11,820 RAISED
During our Days-of-Giving Campaign
After tragically losing his life due to a farm-related incident, Autumn bravely came forward to share how important youth safety is. Not only does the PAF Safety Day program promote youth safety, we use hands-on engaging activities to meet kids where they are in their educational journey in order to better equip them for challenges they meet on the farm. With our donors, we continue to provide potentially life-saving education for children. Thank you to Autumn for her willingness to share her message to others and continuing Clifford’s legacy.
Thank you to all those who donated. With your support we more than doubled the money raised from 2022.
INDIVIDUAL DONORS
Amy and Ryan Rademaker
Ashlee and Matthew Then
Autumn and Nick Schumaker
Brittany Simpson
Cindy and Bernard Geschke
Denise and Bob Marshall
Donald Ireland
Ellen Duysen
Hollie and Steven Johnson
Jana and James Davidson
Bennett/Halbur DAF Fund
Joanna and Gerald West
Jose Perez
Josie Rudolphi
Julie Heinricy
Kayla Hinrichs
Kelly and Brian Kuhl
Kelsey Gunderson
Linda and John Jensen
Lori Neff
Mike Dirham
Pamela and James June
Patty and Larry Kuhl
Phil Johnson
Sharry Nielsen
Susan and Gordon Jones
Susan and Kenneth Alexander
Toby Neal
Tyrone Gentry
Click HERE to watch
Clifford’s story.
TRUST & TRANSPARENCY
For exceeding industry standards and outperforming most charities in its cause, the Progressive Agriculture Foundation is proud to be recognized with the highest
Looking forward into 2024 and beyond
In response to numerous requests for an alternative to the traditional community-based PAF Safety Day and in our search to reach larger audiences, we are thrilled to announce the launch of our three-year pilot program, PAF Safety Zone. This new delivery mode allows PAF Safety Day Coordinators to bring youth safety and health education to larger events.
PAF Safety Zones take place in conjunction with other events (i.e., County or State Fairs, Festivals, Expos, Farm Shows, Dealer Days/Ag Retailer Field Days, Conservation Celebrations, Company Picnics, Agritourism sites, Open Houses, etc.) and should take place in a contained, designated area (i.e., building, tent, etc.).
Like our other programs, a PAF Safety Zone is hands-on and customizable with safety and health stations led by community volunteers and topics offered will be based on the relevance to the community. All stations will be offered in condensed mini segments, with each station lasting 3 to 5 minutes. During a PAF Safety Zone, children and families can visit as they please. When children visit a designated number of stations, they will be rewarded with a special gift provided upon completion.
In Fall 2023, there was one successful PAF Safety Zone program held which reached around 5000 youth participants. If you are interested in participating in our PAF Safety Zone program, please email safetyday@ progressiveag.org.
Impact. Charting Impact encourages strategic thinking about how an organization intends to achieve its goals. The end result is a report that lets non-profits share concise, detailed information about plans and progress with key stakeholders, including the public.
GuideStar’s Platnium Seal of Transparency is earned by completeing five questions around an organization’s strategies, progress, and results, known as Charting 4-star rating achievable through Charity Navigator by achieving an overall score of 98%. Charity Navigator ratings take into account an evaluation of the foundation’s financial health, accountability, and transparency for which a perfect 100% score can be achieved.
2023 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Frank Dowdle
Chairperson
UF/IFAS Extension - Palm Beach County Belle Glade, Florida
Jeanette Dame
Vice Chairperson
TC Energy Calgary, Alberta
Tyrone Gentry
Secretary
Kentucky Cooperative Extension - Green County Greensburg, Kentucky
Brittany Jablonsky
Treasurer
Farm Credit Council Washington, D.C.
EX OFFICIO BOARD MEMBERS
Brian Kuhl Progressive Agriculture Foundation Hudson, Wisconsin
Ellen Duysen, MPH UNMC College of Public Health Omaha, Nebraska
Kayla Hinrichs Nebraska Extension - Zone 6 Ord, Nebraska
Jose Perez
The Wonderful Company Bakersfield, California
Josie Rudolphi, PhD University of Illinois Urbana, Illinois
Tera Stoddard CHS Inc. Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota
Andrea Lear Canadian Agricultural Safety Association Winnipeg, Manitoba
The Progressive Agriculture Foundation is governed by a board, who provide leadership in helping achieve the Foundation’s mission and vision. Their dedication and guidance have been instrumental to the success and growth of the Progressive Agriculture Safety Day program. The volunteer board consists of PAF Safety Day Coordinators, safety and health specialists, and funding partner executives.
FOUNDATION LEADERSHIP
Brian Kuhl President and Chief Executive Officer
Jana Davidson Program Manager
Susan Turner Outreach Specialist
Jessica Eisele Corporate Partnership Engagement Director
Toby Neal Program Support Specialist
$1,360,102 $9,514,665 $1,729,882
SPONSOR DONATIONS
Includes both cash and in-kind donations.
202,034
$6,424,681
VOLUNTEER SUPPORT
Hours of volunteer time using the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimate for the average hourly earning of U.S. employees.
LOCAL DONATIONS
Includes both cash and in-kind donations.
“The hands-on educational activities engage the youth in discovering their own learning results, and there are a lot of options for the kids to be involved in their learning through this Program. There are numerous stories that we hear from parents about youth taking the safety and health messages home to their families, like a mom enforcing her son to wear a helmet while riding a bike. I knew then that in that kid’s life, the Progressive Agriculture Safety Day program made a difference.”
- Tyrone Gentry
PAF Safety Day Coordinator and 2023 PAF Board of Directors Secretary Greensburg, Kentucky
STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES
Progressive Agriculture Foundation Year Ended December 31, 2023
1,027,931 275,303 199,108 1,502,342
YEAR-END FINANCIALS
The Progressive Agriculture Foundation prides itself in its commitment to transparency, accountability, and ethical practices. The organization’s audited financial statements and IRS Form 990 are available for public viewing at www.progressiveag. org. The dollar amounts provided on this page are based on information derived from volunteer PAF Safety Day Coordinator reports and may reflect different values than the official audited report found online.
