Kubota Fuels Farmer Veterans’ Next Chapter at NASCAR San Diego Weekend Through “Geared to Give” Program
June 23, 2026
NAVAL BASE CORONADO, Calif. (June 22, 2026) – Kubota Tractor Corporation and the Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC) today announced the selection of the 2026 “Geared to Give” farmer veteran recipients of new Kubota equipment. This year’s five awardees were honored during a special pre-race ceremony prior to Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at NASCAR San Diego Weekend at Naval Base Coronado, where the veterans were recognized in front of race attendees and presented with the keys to new Kubota equipment as part of Kubota’s ongoing commitment to supporting America’s military veterans through agriculture. This year’s honorees are:
Keelan Brown, U.S. Navy veteran, Lawrenceburg, Tennessee
Justin Butts, U.S. Navy veteran, Berne, New York
Hudson Grigg, U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Hesperus, Colorado
Jeff Morrison, U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Chaseburg, Wisconsin
Joseph Santry, U.S. Army veteran, Columbia, California
“‘Geared to Give’ is about honoring veterans not only for their military service, but also for the meaningful impact they continue to make in their communities through agriculture,” said Alex Woods, President of Kubota Tractor Corporation and a veteran of the Army National Guard. “Bringing this year’s recipients to NASCAR San Diego Weekend at Naval Base Coronado created a powerful opportunity to recognize these farmer veterans in front of passionate fans and fellow Americans who value hard work, service and dedication. We are proud to support their next chapter with equipment that can help grow their operations for years to come.”
In addition to receiving new Kubota equipment, the five farmer veteran recipients and their guests attended NASCAR San Diego Weekend, including the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race and the NASCAR Cup Series race, participated in a meet and greet with Ross Chastain and the Trackhouse Racing team, received a behind-the-scenes tour of the Trackhouse Racing garage, and took part in a special pre-race ceremony at the NASCAR Experience Stage where they were recognized and presented with ceremonial keys to their new equipment.
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“Farmer Veteran Coalition members bring unmatched resilience, leadership and determination to agriculture, and programs like ‘Geared to Give’ help provide the support needed to turn their goals into reality,” said Jeanette Lombardo, Chief Executive Officer of the Farmer Veteran Coalition. “Kubota’s continued investment in veterans and rural communities has made a meaningful difference in the lives of so many of our members, and we are honored to continue this partnership together.”
The 2026 “Geared to Give” program received more than 700 applications through FVC’s Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund, and in the end, one recipient was selected by and for each of Kubota’s five operating divisions across the U.S.
Southeast Division: Keelan Brown served more than 13 years in the U.S. Navy, including six deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Desert Storm. Keelan and his wife, Rachel, own and operate Farmer Brown’s Produce, a family-operated vegetable farm on 2 acres in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, that provides fresh produce through a Community Supported Agriculture Farm Shares program. Kubota awarded Keelan an L3902 compact tractor from the L02 Series, which will be delivered and supported by Brown Equipment Company in Loretto, Tennessee.
Northern Division: Justin Butts served four years in the U.S. Navy, including deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and operations off the Somali Coast. Justin owns and operates Black Wind Farm, a 104-acre regenerative farming operation in Berne, New York, focused on ecological restoration, heritage livestock and strengthening local food systems. Kubota awarded Justin an SVL65-2 compact track loader, which will be delivered and supported by Towline Equipment Sales in Greenville, New York.
Central Division: Hudson Grigg served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps with deployments to the Philippines, Oman, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Singapore and Kuwait. Hudson and his wife, Samantha, own and operate Griggstead, a family- and veteran-owned, 15-acre homestead operating at 7,400 feet in Hesperus, Colorado, specializing in pasture-raised chicken, corn- and soy-free eggs, heritage Navajo-Churro sheep and a production-grade micro-hatchery focused on Standardbred poultry and specialty egg-color crosses. Kubota awarded Hudson an MX5400 utility tractor from the MX Series, which will be delivered and supported by Southwest Ag in Bayfield, Colorado.
Midwest Division: Jeff Morrison served more than eight years in the U.S. Marine Corps, including one deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, a deployment to the Arabian Gulf with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, and another to Japan and South Korea. Jeff and his wife, Hailey, own and operate Bluff Country Ranch LLC, a 119-acre diversified pasture-based livestock operation in Chaseburg, Wisconsin, raising cattle, goats and pasture-raised eggs while also providing targeted grazing services. Kubota awarded Jeff an M7060 utility tractor from the M60 Series, which will be delivered and supported by Portland Implement in Cashton, Wisconsin.
Western Division: Joseph Santry served four years in the U.S. Army, including one deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Joseph, his father, and his brother Samuel, also a U.S. Army veteran, own and operate Sweet Water Farm & Ranch Co., a 30-acre regenerative, pasture-raised California Berkshire Hog farm in Columbia, California. Kubota awarded Joseph an RTV-X CREW utility vehicle, which will be delivered and supported by Garton Tractor in Modesto, California.
Earlier this year, Kubota announced a new multi-year partnership with NASCAR, establishing the company as an Official Partner of NASCAR, including the Official Tractor of NASCAR, Official Construction Equipment Partner of NASCAR, Official Compact Equipment Partner of NASCAR and Official Utility Vehicle of NASCAR. NASCAR San Diego Weekend at Naval Base Coronado marked one of the first major activations under the new partnership, where Kubota incorporated its ongoing support for military veterans through the “Geared to Give” program.
Since the program was established in 2015, Kubota has provided more than $1.2 million to FVC in the form of organizational support and grants to veterans, along with 56 pieces of donated Kubota equipment to farmer veterans nationwide. The program also offers exclusive discounts to veteran members of the Farmer Veteran Coalition with instant customer rebates for purchasing select Kubota equipment at all authorized Kubota dealerships across the country.
For more information on the “Geared to Give” program, visit Kubota Cares. For more information about the Farmer Veteran Coalition, visit FarmVetCo.org.
Keelan Brown - Veteran, Southeast Division
Justin Butts - Veteran, Northern Division
Hudson Grigg - Veteran, Central Division
Jeff Morrison - Veteran, Midwest Division
Joseph Santry - Veteran, Western Division
Alex Woods - President, Kubota Tractor Corporation
About Kubota Tractor Corporation Kubota Tractor Corporation, Grapevine, Texas, is the U.S. marketer and distributor of Kubota-engineered and manufactured machinery and equipment, including a complete line of tractors of up to 200 Gross hp, performance-matched implements, compact construction equipment, consumer lawn and garden equipment, hay tools, commercial turf products and utility vehicles. For product literature or dealer locations, contact: Kubota Tractor Corporation, 1000 Kubota Drive, Grapevine, TX 76051, (888) 4-KUBOTA [(888) 458-2682], Ext. 900, or visit KubotaUSA.com.
About Farmer Veteran Coalition Based in Waco, Texas, Farmer Veteran Coalition’s mission is to assist service members and Veterans transitioning out of military service into careers in the agriculture sector or assist them with starting their own farms or ranches. Established in 2009, FVC’s in-house programs include the Farmer Veteran Coalition Fellowship Fund small grant program, the nationally recognized Homegrown By Heroes label for Veteran-grown products, and national and regional conferences. As the nation’s largest nonprofit assisting veterans and active-duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces embark on careers in agriculture, FVC works to develop a new generation of farmers and food leaders. This is done through expanding viable employment and career opportunities with support and collaboration of the farming and military communities. For more information, visit www.farmvetco.org or follow them on Facebook and Instagram at @FarmerVeteranCoalition and on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@farmvetcoalition/videos.
