Libby’s® Pumpkin Sustainable Food Systems Scholarship Fund
Honoring a Century of Agriculture. Investing in the Next Generation.
In 2025, Libby’s celebrated an extraordinary milestone: 100 years of producing its iconic pumpkin products in Central Illinois. To commemorate a century of connection to Morton and the surrounding farming community, Nestlé USA made a $100,000 gift to the Morton Community Foundation to support three permanent endowed funds focused on agriculture, food production, sustainability, education, and the future of the community.
The gift established the LIBBY’S® Pumpkin Sustainable Food Systems Scholarship Fund and the Nestlé LIBBY’S® Pumpkin Sustainability Project Fund, while also providing additional support to the existing Morton Project Pumpkin Endowment Fund.
The LIBBY’S® Pumpkin Sustainable Food Systems Scholarship Fund provides annual scholarship support to graduating seniors from Morton High School who demonstrate academic achievement and intend to pursue post-secondary education in agriculture, food-related fields, sustainability, or related disciplines.
A Century of Pumpkin in Central Illinois
For generations, Libby’s Pumpkin has been part of family traditions across America, particularly around the Thanksgiving table. Behind those familiar cans is a story deeply rooted in Morton and Central Illinois, where Libby’s has worked with local family farms across generations to grow and produce the pumpkin used in its products.
As Libby’s looked toward its next century in Central Illinois, sustainability became an important part of ensuring that those agricultural traditions can continue for generations to come.
That commitment includes efforts to conserve and reuse water during pumpkin processing, support pollinators and healthy local habitats, and put nearly the entire pumpkin to productive use. Pumpkin rinds and stems that do not go into the can can be returned to agricultural uses such as fertilizer and compost, while seeds can find other beneficial uses.
The result is a fitting connection between Libby’s past and its future: celebrating 100 years of pumpkin production by investing in young people and community initiatives that will help shape the future of agriculture, food production, and environmental stewardship.
Scholarship Eligibility
Applicants must:
* Be a graduating senior from Morton High School.
* Plan to pursue a degree in agriculture, a food-related field, sustainability, or a related discipline. Qualifying areas may include agricultural science, agribusiness, animal science, crop science, horticulture, agricultural education, food science, food technology, food manufacturing, culinary science, environmental sustainability, sustainable agriculture, and other related fields.
* Have earned a minimum cumulative high school GPA of 2.75.
* Complete an essay of 500 words or less describing their current involvement and learning in their chosen field, how the scholarship will help them pursue their goals, and why the future of their chosen field is important to them.
Through the LIBBY’S® Pumpkin Sustainable Food Systems Scholarship Fund, Libby’s is celebrating a century of agricultural heritage in Central Illinois while investing in the students who will help write the next chapter. This permanent endowment will provide scholarship opportunities for generations to come, helping prepare future leaders to nourish communities, advance sustainable practices, and strengthen our local and global food systems.
Students interested in applying for this scholarship should reach out to the MHS Counseling Office for information on timeline, application process, etc.
To make a tax-deductible donation to this endowment fund, you can:
Donate by check: Make it payable to Morton Community Foundation and mail it to 135 S First Ave, Morton, IL 61550. Please write “Johnson SHS Scholarship” on the memo line.
Make a tax-advantaged gift of stock…Visit our stock gifting page by clicking HERE.
For more ways to give, CLICK HERE.
Give online by clicking the button below.
Are you a Caterpillar Employee or Retiree?
The Caterpillar Foundation is proud to offer the year-round Matching Gifts Program to support their employees, U.S. retirees and board of directors in their contributions to worthy causes. Eligible Caterpillar participants may request an annual total maximum 1:1 match of $10,000 USD each calendar year to eligible charities to which contributions are tax deductible. The Morton Community Foundation is an eligible charity. So, if you are an eligible Caterpillar participant, you may submit any donations to this fund for an equivalent match, up to your total maximum of $10,000 per year. CLICK HERE to link to the Caterpillar Foundation’s Matching Gift website.