

Help Us Preserve This Legacy Through The
NBHF Endowment Fund!
The overall goal of the fund is to establish a large enough endowment that the foundation can operate long term off its earnings. Once the endowment is established, it will allow the foundation to hire much needed staff to manage the properties, be available for tours on a regular schedule, and expand our educational “Inspire Days” to reach more students in Iowa and Minnesota. The endowment would also permit the foundation to work towards our goal of converting the 1915 Birthplace Barn into a year-round visitor and educational center.
In order to accomplish these tasks, our goal is $2 million in our endowment fund. We believe that Norm’s legacy and values need to be promoted to more people through a much greater outreach than what our strictly volunteer organization can do. By contributing to the Norman Borlaug Heritage Foundation Endowment Fund, you can help us reach these goals and keep Norm’s legacy alive. Use the button below to learn more about the tax benefits and ways to donate to the NBHF Endowment Fund.


Almost certainly, however, the first essential component of social justice is adequate food for all mankind.
Dr. Norman Borlaug
1970 Nobel Peace Prize Recipient
Few people in the history of the world have done as much to positively impact humanity around the world as Dr. Norman Borlaug. Born on a small farm south of Cresco, Iowa, Dr. Borlaug devoted his career to saving the lives of millions of starving people around the globe. In 1970 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his work. He is also one of only seven people to have received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal in addition to the Nobel Peace Prize.
In His Own Words
"I realize how fortunate I was to have been born, to have grown to manhood, and to have received my early education in rural Iowa. That heritage provided me with a set of values that has been an invaluable guide to me in my work around the world... These values ... have been of great strength in times of despair in my struggle to assist in improving the standards of living of rural people everywhere."
NBHF Statement of Purpose
The Norman Borlaug Heritage Foundation exists to educate others about the humanitarian efforts of one of the world's most important people. Dr. Borlaug devoted his entire life helping feed those who were most vulnerable throughout the world. Norm did not want the farms where he grew up to be a monument to him, but rather a place of education about helping others. That’s the second reason we exist; to preserve the buildings and land as teaching tools to help others learn about caring for those in need as well as caring for the environment. You can help us keep Norm's legacy alive by donating to the Norman Borlaug Heritage Foundation.
Education & Events
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Meet Our 2022 Intern
Justin Kerian was the 2022 Borlaug-Thomson intern. He graduated from Crestwood High School in 2021 and will be a sophomore at Iowa State University during the 2022-2023 school year. Justin is majoring in Agricultural Science.
Justin was a major help to the NBHF. His farm background and previous job experience provided him with a great deal of skill in the areas of maintenance and equipment repair. One of the primary goals for the foundation in 2022 was the repair and upkeep to our many buildings. He completed a variety of projects including fixes to the maintenance shed door, replaced rotted siding on the Boyhood Barn, replaced and repaired signage, removed brush and debris, and many more projects.
His first project at the Boyhood Farm dates back several years when he was working on his Eagle Scout project. Justin was very aware of Dr. Borlaug and the Borlaug farms as he grew up nearby as well as spending nights at the farm camping with his scout troop. When he learned that the foundation needed new signage for the Boyhood Farm, Justin, with the help of his Uncle Kevin, stepped in and created the beautiful sign that is now near the road and in front of the school. Justin just finished re-staining that sign.
We thank Justin for his time and hard work for the foundation. He has made a valuable contribution to the NBHF and to the legacy of Dr. Borlaug's life on these historic properties.
