Ag Minute: Flavor of the Day -Thank You Farmers
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
For many people across the Midwest, Culver’s is more than just another place to eat. It is the stop for a ButterBurger after a ball game, cheese curds on a road trip, or a Concrete Mixer when nothing else sounds quite right. Most of us know the blue roof, the friendly service, and the familiar menu, but fewer people may know the agricultural story behind the restaurant. That story has become even more visible through Culver’s bright blue barns, which carry a simple message to the countryside: Thank You Farmers.
Culver’s began in Sauk City, Wisconsin in 1984, when Craig and Lea Culver, along with Craig’s parents George and Ruth, opened the first restaurant and began serving ButterBurgers and Fresh Frozen Custard. Since then, Culver’s has grown to more than 900 restaurants across 26 states, while still holding onto much of its Wisconsin identity. The menu reflects that background well, with ButterBurgers, frozen custard, cheese curds, fish fry traditions, and other items tied closely to the food culture of the Upper Midwest. Wisconsin is known for dairy, supper clubs, cheese, and strong farm roots, and Culver’s has built much of its brand around that same sense of place. It is easy to see why a restaurant founded in Wisconsin would eventually look for a way to connect its guests back to the farmers who help make that food possible.
That connection is the basis of the Thank You Farmers Project, which Culver’s started in 2013. Through the project, Culver’s has supported agricultural education, hunger relief, climate smart agricultural efforts, and organizations like the National FFA. Culver’s reports that the company and its guests have donated more than $8 million through the project since it began. One of the most visible parts of that effort is the blue barn campaign. Culver’s has four blue barns across the Midwest, each painted with a message of gratitude to farmers. These barns are located in Argenta, Illinois; Beaver Dam, Wisconsin; Greenfield, Indiana; and Mineral Point, Wisconsin. For many readers in Central Illinois, the Argenta barn may be the most familiar. Sitting just beyond Decatur, it is the kind of landmark people may notice while driving from Springfield to Champaign on I-72. In a stretch of Illinois surrounded by corn, soybeans, grain elevators, and small towns, the message fits naturally into the landscape.
The blue barns are simple, but that is part of what makes them work. They do not try to explain every part of the food supply chain or every challenge facing agriculture. Instead, they remind people that the food they enjoy, even at a fast casual restaurant, begins with farmers, processors, and rural communities. More restaurants and food companies are trying to make that same connection between producers and customers. Some do it through sourcing claims, some through local partnerships, and others through educational campaigns. Done well, these efforts can help customers better understand where their food comes from while also highlighting the quality of production taking place across the United States. Culver’s blue barns are one example, but the message is much bigger: behind every meal, there is agriculture.
For more information on Culver’s history and Wisconsin roots, follow the link below;
For more information on Culver’s blue barns and their locations, follow the link below;
For more information on the Thank You Farmers Project, follow the link below;
For more information on where Culver’s originated, follow the link below;