A plant-forward bento box lunch at the Menus of Change Leadership Summit
Looking at miscanthus, a perennial grass with potential to fuel regenerative biomass value chains
Milling sustainably grown wheat at Janie’s Mill
The past several months took me from the Midwest to Europe, and from research fields to farmer-led convenings. Alongside my colleague, Nathan Spalding, I spent time connecting with farmers, funders, researchers and industry leaders. These conversations reinforced that systems change in agriculture requires more than good ideas – it takes aligned investment, shared strategy and trust.
Across these engagements, one theme stood out: the importance of staying the course on solutions that can scale. By bringing people together and catalyzing markets, Builders Vision is helping to create a resilient agricultural system that supports farmers, restores ecosystems and ensures food security.
Champaign-Urbana Site Visit (September)
In Illinois, Nathan and I saw firsthand the innovation happening in the Midwest – from agroforestry to small grains to new approaches regarding land access. Grantees like Artisan Grain Collaborative, IL Farm Link, Climate Land Leaders, University of IL’s Biomass Innovation Hub and Savanna Institute showcased how these practices are taking root.
A highlight for me was seeing Janie’s Mill who works with our grantee, Artisan Grain Collaborative. Not only is Janie’s serving up delicious baked goods using flour made from sustainably grown wheat, they also fill a critical “missing middle” gap in the regional grain supply chain, milling sustainably grown wheat into high-quality flour that supports farmers and local markets.
Biomass Innovation Hub Stakeholder Meeting (August)
Nathan attended the Biomass Innovation Hub Stakeholder Meeting at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign (UIUC). The Hub, which Builders Vision supports, is exploring miscanthus, a perennial grass, as a regenerative feedstock for biomass value chains.
Miscanthus has huge potential: it sequesters carbon, reduces soil erosion and opens pathways in energy, food and biotechnology. The Hub explores those market potentials by researching novel processing technology that can turn miscanthus into commercial-ready products, including biodegradable paper packaging, animal bedding, composite building materials, textiles, natural dyes and sustainable aviation fuel.
Philanthropy often supports crop research, but we also have a role in bridging the gap between discovery and deployment – supporting technologies that unlock markets for these crops. That’s the key to getting more farmers to adopt perennials.
Menus of Change (June)
In New York, Nathan and our food team colleague Anila Podila, joined foodservice leaders at the Menus of Change Leadership Summit at the Culinary Institute of America, learning how institutions from hospitals to schools and stadiums are shifting toward plant-rich meals that improve health, reduce emissions and strengthen their bottom line.
The conversations weren’t only about what ends up on the plate – they also pointed back to the farm. Healthy soils and resilient farming systems lead to more nutritious, secure and accessible food. Growing beans, peas and lentils, for example, improves soil health and limits greenhouse gas emissions, while supplying food service institutions with protein-packed, plant-based foods.
Builders Vision sees an opportunity to connect those dots by supporting value chains for plant-rich foods to scale to institutional procurement.
Global Alliance Annual Member Meeting and Global Convening (May)
In La Hulpe, Belgium – within the Sonian Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site – the Global Alliance for the Future of Food convened global leaders to underscore the links between climate, health, biodiversity, justice and food systems.
One takeaway was that agriculture is global at its core, and so are the solutions we need: from shifting narratives about climate and agriculture to reducing reliance on fossil fuels and harsh chemicals in food production. Builders Vision participates in the Global Alliance’s Climate and Nature Working Group to identify opportunities for collaboration at home and abroad.
Forever Green Summit (May)
This summer, I also attended the inaugural Forever Green Forum at the University of Minnesota – an event Builders Vision was proud to sponsor. Researchers, farmers and policymakers explored opportunities within Continuous Living Cover (CLC) cropping systems, including Kernza®, pennycress and winter camelina.
Walking through research plots and listening directly to growers and scientists brought the potential of these crops to life – I saw firsthand how they reduce erosion, increase biodiversity and protect waterways. Winter Camelina is gaining market viability, but faces common challenges including infrastructure, breeding improvements and increasing supply and demand simultaneously. Builders Vision is proud to support Forever Green’s commercialization work engaging entrepreneurs, small and mid-sized enterprises and corporates to integrate continuous living cover crops into their supply chains.
Savannah Institute Donor Convening (May)
We also hosted a Donor Convening for Savanna Institute this spring, celebrating its work to expand agroforestry in the Midwest. The evening’s menu, created by James Beard Award-winning food writer Beth Dooley, centered around crops grown from the perennial and agroforestry systems that Savanna Institute promotes – a taste of what resilient agriculture can look like. The gathering surfaced donor enthusiasm for Savanna Institute’s important work advancing agroforestry markets.
Looking Ahead
This year has shown what’s possible when philanthropy, academia and industry move in step. In 2026, Builders Vision will continue to act as a market catalyst – aligning capital, ideas and partners – to scale regenerative practices, strengthen rural communities and accelerate agriculture’s transition toward resilience.
We’re grateful to our partners for the conversations, the learnings and the shared commitment to carrying this momentum forward.