As the year draws to a close, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for your ongoing support and partnership with the Portage Foundation. Your contributions have made a significant impact on our mission to strengthen our community and improve the lives of those who call Portage County home.
With the holiday season and year-end approaching, we kindly request that you consider the Portage Foundation in your year-end giving plans. Your generous support has allowed us to provide vital resources, fund meaningful projects, and empower local organizations to make a difference in the lives of our neighbors. Together, we have built a stronger, more vibrant community.
This Giving Tuesday, we invite you to join us in celebrating a remarkable legacy—a legacy born of grit, determination, and an unwavering belief in the power of education–that continues thanks to the work of the Portage Foundation. The story we share today is about Boyd and Joan Wallbrown, creators of a family, and business, that have left an indelible mark on our community, and the Portage Foundation is honored to be part of this incredible journey.
Honoring a Legacy of Grit, Determination, and Education on Giving Tuesday
Boyd, a first-generation entrepreneur, was a man of boundless determination. He dreamed of a career in agriculture as a young boy. Boyd possessed an insatiable drive to succeed and the courage to embrace risks. He started with a single farm in Portage County, and from those humble beginnings, he transformed it into a thriving retail business, supplying quality products to fellow farmers. Today, this company reaches far beyond our county, shipping products around the world, even connecting Ohio’s soybeans to Southeast Asia.
Joan, Boyd’s partner through it all, was an educator herself. Her income supported their family and business in the early days when resources were scarce. Together, they faced adversity with determination and a shared vision for a brighter future.
The Boyd and Joan Wallbrown Agricultural Innovation Endowed Scholarship, established with the Portage Foundation, allows this extraordinary family to keep the memory of Boyd and Joan alive within our community. It is their way of telling the story of their parents, of Boyd’s unwavering love for farming and their collective commitment to progress. It’s a story of a family that saw a need and filled it, making a significant impact on the agriculture industry and our local communit
Education was Boyd’s passion. He had a “trainer” mentality, always eager to share knowledge and embrace the latest innovations in farming. From being the first in the area to try no-till farming to adopting liquid fertilizers and even embracing emerging technologies like fax machines and custom software for grain accounting automation, Boyd was a visionary in his field.
Boyd and Joan’s legacy is an inspiration, and it’s our privilege to ensure it endures for generations to come.
This Giving Tuesday, we invite you to join us in keeping the Portage Foundation an integral part of our community. Together, we can make a difference, one scholarship, one fund, and one legacy at a time. Join us today and be part of something truly meaningful.
Donate, share, and honor the legacy that continues to shape our community. #GivingTuesday #LegacyofBoydandJoan #YourLegacyOurMission