Chipotle Mexican Grill has donated $125,000 to the Niman Ranch Next Generation Foundation's scholarship program for young farmers and future sustainable agriculture leaders, according to a company press release.

Brian Niccol, Chipotle chairman and CEO, announced the investment Wednesday during Niman Ranch's annual farmer appreciation gathering and said in his remarks that Chipotle has donated more than $425,000 over the past several years to support Niman Ranch, a community of more than 750 independent family farmers and ranchers who raise pork, beef and lamb traditionally, humanely and sustainably.

"Offering Niman Ranch products on our menu enables us to serve sustainable food raised humanely by farmers whose ethical practices align with our values," Niccol said. "After more than 20 years, we're still proudly working together and look forward to cultivating the future of farming."

Chipotle began serving meat from Niman Ranch in 1998 after Chipotle's founder visited the company's original hog farmer, Paul Willis. Chipotle's commitment to "Food with Integrity" and serving Niman Ranch beef and pork fueled the recruitment of new farmers and ranchers to the Niman Ranch network and helped provide stable livelihoods for independent family farmers over their 20-plus years of partnership, according to the release.

Rural America has changed dramatically over the past 30 years. Four out of five Iowa pig farms that operated three decades ago are out of business today. In recent years, 40 times more farms have been lost than gained. Young farmers face particularly challenging obstacles getting started with high land prices and significant debt, according to Chipotle.

"Our farmers rightly credit Chipotle with the early success of the brand, providing a stable partnership in our formative years," said Willis, who is not only Niman Ranch's founding hog farmer but is also on the board of the Next Generation Foundation. "Chipotle's generous donation to our scholarship program illustrates their continued investment in the future of our community of independent family farmers."

Since its inception in 2006, the Niman Ranch Next Generation Foundation has awarded 273 scholarships to support the future of farming.

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