Pivot Bio Takes Year of One Million Thanks Buddy Seat Tour to Penn State Homecoming

Partnership with Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences will bring farmer voices to the forefront as two leading dairy states meet on the football field

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pivot Bio, one of the world’s leading agtech companies, announced today that its The Year of One Million Thanks Buddy Seat Tour, is headed to Penn State’s Homecoming celebration this weekend as the Nittany Lions take on the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday, Sept. 26.

In partnership with the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, the tour stop will bring agriculture and farmer voices front and center during one of the university’s biggest traditions, inviting fans and members of the Penn State community to recognize and thank the people behind the food, fuel and fiber that power everyday life.

The matchup carries special significance for agriculture. Dairy plays an important role in the economies and rural communities of both Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, with Wisconsin ranking second in the nation for milk production and Pennsylvania ranking No. 1 for the percentage of agricultural producers under age 35. The Year of One Million Thanks tour stop creates a natural opportunity to recognize the farmers behind the industry and highlight how advances in Pivot Bio’s crop nutrition and silage production products are supporting dairy and livestock production.

“Penn State and Wisconsin both have deep roots in agriculture, so there’s something fitting about bringing the Year of One Million Thanks Tour here for this game,” said Travis Frey, Ph.D., chief technology officer at Pivot Bio and an alumnus of both The Pennsylvania State University and the University of Wisconsin–Madison. “These universities helped shape how I think about science and its potential to expand what’s possible for farmers. But the real measure of innovation is what happens when it reaches the farm. Working directly with farmers is how we keep pushing the science toward what the ag industry needs next.”

The Grati-Tractor will be located at the Snider Agricultural Arena from 3 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, giving fans and visitors an opportunity to stop by, write a message of thanks to farmers and experience the tour. The Penn State-Wisconsin Homecoming game kicks off at 5 p.m. ET at West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium.

About A Year of One Million Thanks

The Year of One Million Thanks Buddy Seat Tour is visiting states around the nation to celebrate and thank farmers.

The tour kicked off on July 20 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, and over the course of the next 12 months, Pivot Bio CEO Chris Abbott will travel 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.

The 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.

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. The Grati-Tractor is a real working tractor owned by Boedeker Brothers Farms and Tom serves as an honorary farm ambassador as part of the tour.

About Pivot Bio

Pivot Bio, one of the world’s leading agtech companies, delivers patented crop nutrition technologies that harness the power of nature to help farmers reliably and productively grow the food the world needs in the face of increasing volatility. 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.