A year ago, during an investor conference, the conversation turned to a question that has become increasingly common across boardrooms and business forums: What industries will have the greatest impact shaping the future?
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The Year of One Million Thanks Buddy Seat Tour kicks off in St. Louis, MO.
Chris Abbott, CEO of Pivot Bio, listened to the conversations. Topics such as artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, robotics, American competitiveness, domestic security and global markets dominated the discussions.
As Abbott listened, he realized that not once did the conversation turn to one of the world’s most essential industries—one that touches every person on the planet every single day, yet is too often overlooked.
“That conversation stayed with me,” Abbott said. “I spend every waking moment thinking about how we can better support farmers. Agriculture isn’t simply another industry, it’s absolutely foundational to every community and economy. Farmers are solving some of the world’s biggest challenges every day, yet their voices aren’t always part of the broader conversation. Certainly, their work doesn’t attract the level of investment that other industries attract. I left with a mission to do my part to change that.”
That conversation became the inspiration for the Year of One Million Thanks Buddy Seat Tour.
Beginning July 20 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, and over the course of the next 12 months, Abbott will travel more than 1,500 miles across America’s rural communities with a working family tractor, meeting with farmers in their fields and communities to listen to their experiences, celebrate their contributions and explore the ideas that will shape the next generation of agriculture.
Most importantly, he’s bringing along some friends. Innovators, technologists, business leaders, policymakers and academic leaders will take a turn in the buddy seat to raise awareness of the opportunities and challenges facing agriculture—and the investment and technology focus needed to bring the same level of innovation to America’s most critical industry.
The Year of One Million Thanks Buddy Seat Tour is built around a simple belief: the best ideas for agriculture begin with the people who live it every day.
Just as importantly, the tour is intended to spark action.
By bringing together farmers with leaders from business, government, academia and the broader agricultural community, Pivot Bio hopes the conversations will identify practical partnerships and solutions that can help farmers address today’s challenges while preparing for tomorrow’s opportunities.
Chris Turner, Pivot Bio’s Chief Commercial Officer, has seen it all in his decades long career with some of the most notable companies in agriculture. “I’ve spent my entire career working alongside farmers, and I can honestly say I’ve never been part of a company that has invested in them the way Pivot Bio has. Whether it’s developing breakthrough technology, standing beside farmers during fertilizer uncertainty, investing in the next generation through Pivot Pathways, or moving our operations closer to the people we serve, everything we do starts with one question: ‘How can we better support farmers?’ That’s what makes this tour so meaningful to me.”
A Tractor That Carries More Than One Story
Every journey needs the right vehicle. For a journey as impactful as the Year of One Million Thanks Buddy Seat Tour, that meant finding more than simply a tractor to make the trip. It meant finding one that represents the resilience and spirit of American agriculture. The search led to 69-year-old Missouri farmer Tom Boedeker of Boedeker Brothers Farm, a fourth-generation family operation near Elsberry, Missouri, whose roots date back to 1936.
Together with his brother, Joe, and cousins Jim and Bert, Tom has spent a lifetime helping lead Boedeker Brothers Farm through decades of change, caring for the land while embracing new technologies that improve productivity and strengthen environmental stewardship. His journey has not been without extraordinary challenges. Known as an early adopter of conservation practices and new equipment, Tom has always believed in leaving the land better than he found it.
For generations, Boedeker Brothers Farm has also served as a cornerstone of its rural community, opening its gates to thousands of students through school field trips, FFA and 4-H events, livestock and dairy judging contests, soil science competitions and other educational experiences that have introduced young people across eastern Missouri to agriculture and inspired future generations of farmers.
Like many farm families, Boedeker Brothers Farm has faced difficult seasons and extraordinary decisions over the years, including closing the dairy chapter of the operation in 2018 after generations of milking. Tom’s own journey has also tested him, from surviving a grain bin accident and a combine fire during harvest to overcoming serious equipment accidents and a life-threatening medical emergency. He is the definition of resilience.
Yet through every setback, he has remained committed to the work he loves, the community he serves and the farm his family has built together.
Starting this summer, Tom’s own working tractor will be part of the journey. Dubbed the Grati-tractor One, it is only fitting that it comes from a multi-generational working farm. It will take a break for harvest, but will be back on the road after, and may be joined by other tractors along the journey.
Rather than a showpiece built for display, this tractor will be a symbol of the perseverance, innovation and optimism that define farming families across America.
Tom Boedeker will be the first ambassador of the tour and will join Abbott driving the tractor to Busch Stadium for the journey’s official kickoff on July 20.
Farm Ambassador – Kyle Bridgeforth, Bridgeforth Farms
In addition to Tom Boedeker, the tour also features a second Farm Ambassador – Kyle Bridgeforth, Bridgeforth Farms.
As a fifth-generation farmer, Bridgeforth is carrying forward a family legacy that began in 1877, when his formerly enslaved great-great-grandfather, George Bridgeforth Sr., began purchasing farmland in North Alabama following the Civil War.
For nearly 150 years, generations of the Bridgeforth family have broken barriers, advanced agricultural education and built one of America’s most respected Black-owned farming operations.
Today, as an owner and operating partner of Bridgeforth Farms – one of America’s largest Black-owned farming operations, Kyle Bridgeforth is helping shape the future of agriculture both on and off the farm. In addition to leading initiatives focused on crop traceability, farm efficiency and business development, Bridgeforth serves on the boards of several organizations including the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research, the International Fertilizer Development Center, and works closely with organizations like the American Soybean Association and National Black Growers Council to advance farmer success. Whether he’s in the field, the boardroom or at the policy table, Bridgeforth is helping shape conversations about the future of American agriculture.
“Our Founding Honorary Ambassadors remind us that every farm has a story,” Abbott said. “These two farm families represent the resiliency that is on display every day across rural America. Some stories are measured in generations. Others are measured by perseverance through adversity. Together, they represent the many faces of American agriculture and the people whose work makes life possible for all of us.”
The Year of One Million Thanks Buddy Seat Tour will conclude at the A Million Thanks Festival – Live from the Heartland next year, where all 15 Founding Honorary Ambassadors will be recognized as part of Pivot Bio’s 15th anniversary celebration and a nationwide expression of gratitude to America’s farmers.
“For 15 years, Pivot Bio has been inspired by farmers and driven by their determination to leave the land better than they found it,” Abbott said. “This tour is our opportunity to give something back, not just by saying thank you, but by listening, learning and helping build the partnerships and ideas that will support agriculture for generations to come.”
About Pivot Bio
Pivot Bio is one of the world’s leading agricultural biotechnology companies, delivering breakthrough crop nutrition technologies that help farmers improve productivity, profitability and sustainability through the power of science. Guided by its purpose of improving the lives of farmers and the health of the planet, Pivot Bio partners with farmers to advance innovation, strengthen food security and help shape the future of agriculture. Currently available in North America and soon in Brazil, the company’s products represent a breakthrough innovation and one of the agriculture industry’s most promising solutions. Pivot Bio has been recognized three times by TIME magazine on its annual list of Best Inventions, by Fast Company on its World Changing Ideas and World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies lists, by CNBC on its Disruptor 50 list, by Fortune on its Impact 20 list, and by MIT Technology Review as one of 15 climate tech companies to watch. For more information, visit PivotBio.com.
Media Note: The One Million Thanks Buddy Seat Tour will kick off on July 20 in St. Louis, Missouri at Busch Stadium. Pivot Bio CEO Chris Abbott, Chief Commercial Officer, Chris Turner and Chief Technology Officer, Travis Frey will be available for interviews.
Farm Ambassadors Tom Boedeker and Kyle Bridgeforth will also be available for media interviews.
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