Ann McGlynn Named 2025 Iowa SHARES Humanitarian Award Recipient for Advancing Sustainable Food Access in the Quad Cities

The World Food Prize Foundation announced today, Ann McGlynn, founder and executive director of Tapestry Farms in Davenport, Iowa, as the Recipient of the 2025 Robert D. Ray Iowa SHARES Humanitarian Award. McGlynn is recognized for her leadership in advancing sustainable food access throughout the Quad Cities, where her nonprofit reclaimed underutilized land to grow more than 20,000 pounds of fresh, culturally relevant produce—strengthening local food systems and nourishing communities in need.

“Ann McGlynn’s work with Tapestry Farms is a powerful example of how a local initiative can turn untapped land into vital sources of fresh food,” said Mashal Husain, President, World Food Prize Foundation. “Her commitment to expanding sustainable food access across the Quad Cities embodies the values of compassion, resilience and community the Robert D. Ray Iowa SHARES Humanitarian Award proudly recognizes. We invite everyone to celebrate Ann’s achievements and engage with leaders tackling hunger at the Iowa Hunger Summit on July 16.”

In 2024, Tapestry Farms grew over 11,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables with the dedication of more than a dozen staff members, interns and 300 volunteers. The farm operates at 12 locations across the Quad Cities from April to October and hydroponically year-round in a 320-square-foot shipping container, which was fully funded by the John Deere Foundation and installed in 2023. This enables Tapestry Farms to grow an additional 2-6 tons of produce annually. 

Their harvest is distributed through food pantries, nonprofits, a monthly subscription service and a farmers market stand. This year, the Quad Cities Community Foundation awarded $300,000 over three years to Tapestry Farms to enable them to nearly triple the pounds of food grown and more than double the families served by their culturally specific food pantry.

FROM INSPIRATION TO LASTING CHANGE

Founded in 2017, Tapestry Farms not only cultivates food but also supports refugee families with housing, medical and mental healthcare, education, employment, transportation and community connections. They work with around 25 families at a time and have served over 130 families since their founding.

McGlynn was inspired to start Tapestry Farms after working at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Davenport, where the congregation welcomed a refugee mother and her six children from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Seeing the greater need in her community and echoing Governor Ray’s commitment decades earlier, McGlynn knew she had to help. That family—and a gifted bowl of spinach from their backyard—sparked the founding of Tapestry Farms and the growth of community food systems.

“When Robert Ray made the decision to welcome refugees to the state of Iowa in the mid-1970s, he did so to save lives,” McGlynn said. “But he didn't stop there. He worked to feed and care for people forcibly displaced from their homes in Cambodia. Then, he forged a path for our entire nation to welcome refugees as Iowa did, with the Refugee Resettlement Act of 1980. Some of the most important people in my life are building their lives in Iowa because of Robert Ray's persistence, and our work at Tapestry Farms seeks to nourish people just as he did. I consider it one of the greatest honors of my life to receive an award named for Governor Ray.”

McGlynn grew up on a small family farm in Clinton County, Iowa. After attending elementary school in Welton, and junior and senior high school in DeWitt, she became a two-time graduate of the University of Iowa, earning a bachelor’s in journalism and a master’s in business administration.  

McGlynn will be awarded the Iowa SHARES Award at the annual Iowa Hunger Summit on July 16, 2025, at the Norman E. Borlaug Hall of Laureates in Des Moines. Registration is now open for the Iowa Hunger Summit.

REGISTER NOW FOR THE ANNUAL IOWA HUNGER SUMMIT

The Iowa Hunger Summit is a free annual event that unites leaders and advocates from across the state to tackle the complex challenges of hunger at every stage of life. This year’s theme, From the Ground Up, highlights the vital need to nurture sustainable solutions to food insecurity—from the first breath to the final years of life. True, lasting change depends on a lifelong commitment to ensuring access to nutritious food for all Iowans.

“As a global organization, we’ve learned that the most effective solutions to hunger don’t come from the top down—they grow from the ground up,” said Thomas Vilsack, CEO, World Food Prize Foundation. “The Iowa Hunger Summit unites the voices, hands and hearts of those leading the fight in their own communities. From the Ground Up reflects our unwavering commitment to tackling hunger and malnutrition at every stage of life, beginning where it matters most: right here at home.”

By engaging in conversations about the root causes of hunger and seeking proven strategies from around Iowa and the country, we can strengthen the foundation of Iowa’s food systems to support health and well-being across generations. From early childhood development to aging with dignity, ensuring access to nutritious food across the lifespan is essential for building a resilient, food-secure future. Together, from the ground up, we can create communities where every individual, at every life stage, has the opportunity to thrive.

We have a powerful agenda featuring keynote speakers like Linda Nageotte, President and Chief Operating Officer, Feeding America, and Aaron Dworkin, Chief Executive Officer, National Summer Learning Association. There will be interactive panel sessions from leading agriculture experts to farmers in the field and teachers in the classroom. They will use their unique and diverse perspectives, sharing their insights and strategies for confronting hunger and food insecurity in local communities. Our breakout sessions will offer opportunities to network and take deep dives into critical issues impacting Iowa. These include: 

Better Together: Power of Partnerships in the Charitable Food System | Iowa Food Bank Association and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
Feeding Health, Growing Hope: The Power of Rural Partnership | Live Well Montgomery County and Montgomery County Memorial Hospital
Fueled by Students: Unlocking the Full Potential of School Meals to Address Hunger | Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) and GENYOUth
Networking Iowa’s Community-Based Food Groups | Center for Rural Affairs, Iowa Farmers Union and Iowa Food System Coalition

During the afternoon breakout session, attendees will have the opportunity to package over 35,000 meals, during a one-hour session, that will be distributed directly to Iowans in partnership with Meals From The Heartland, and sponsored by Hy-Vee.