Agricultural Excellence

Norman Borlaug and Eldon Siehl shared a passion for raising awareness of the importance of agriculture and for ensuring that Americans never forget the people who produce food. Borlaug, a University of Minnesota alumnus, earned three degrees there in forestry and plant pathology. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for breeding new varieties of wheat and revolutionizing growing methods, and he is credited with saving nearly a billion people around the world from starvation. Siehl, a successful business owner with a lifelong fascination with agriculture, gave generously to the University of Minnesota, including establishing the Siehl Prize for Excellence in Agriculture to honor those who turned their love for the land into a lifetime of exemplary work. In 1982, Borlaug encouraged Siehl to endow the Minnesota-based award, and four years later Borlaug helped establish the World Food Prize to honor those who improve the quality, quantity, or availability of food throughout the world.

Falcon Heights, Minnesota · United States