Board Member Spotlight: Liz Vircks
This year, we’re taking time out to introduce you to the AgG Board, a group of dedicated individuals who are critical to the work you’re making possible.
Some help through spiritual guidance, others scout out new investment opportunities, while others are front-line farm developers working in fields, and that’s a great way of describing Liz!
Liz brings her deep experience in the US agricultural industry to bear in many ways, but it’s her willingness to go and work alongside local people in underserved parts of the world that stands out. See more of her work and history with us below.
1) How did you get involved w/ AgG, and how are you contributing now?
Liz: I was introduced to AgG via Kevin Stark while working at Land O’Lakes. He laid out the vision and I was hooked. It was the ability to address systematic challenges alongside locals that inspired me to join AgG. Food is at the center of every community, so the opportunity to tangibly benefit people’s tables across the developing world was a natural fit, given my work with various farm-to-fork initiatives.
What drew me to AgG is our holistic approach.
We’re working right at the intersection of development and community empowerment. It’s about more than just food security—it’s about creating the sustainable infrastructure, connections, and the nuanced global insights needed for communities to flourish.
I have served as a project champion for a Western Asian partner, trip facilitator, marketing team support, and board member across my six years with AgG.
2) What are you hoping for the future of AgG and our partnerships, and what challenges do you see ahead?
Liz: I’m proud to work with AgG because we see the farmer and the community; we see the future of entire regions. I see incredible opportunity to bridge the gap between broken agricultural systems and lasting community prosperity. I do see the great need coming to our doorstep from across the globe.
There are many worthy projects, but ensuring we have the bandwidth and resources to properly support key ecosystems is important. Our team comes together with a strong skillset that brings expertise from across the food chain and beyond. The challenge is big, but our team is well-prepared to solve complex regional puzzles.
3) What stands out about the last few years of growth? Anything personally encouraging or exciting to you about where AgG is headed?
Liz: I’m so proud of what we’re building at AgGrandize. We believe that every farming community deserves more than just a harvest, they deserve a future. By focusing on both the land and the people, we’re helping families move beyond the daily struggle and into a life where they can actually flourish.
For me, the greatest achievement isn't just business growth—it’s the enduring human impact.
By working with local partners and offering meaningful livelihoods, we’ve helped foster truly generational change. I have incredible joy visiting the communities we work in and siting with the women of the village and hearing firsthand how their lives have improved.
One of my favorite moments was meeting a local farmer and her husband in Kyrgyzstan. They had faced many hardships in their rural village and were forced to go to a far-away city for work.
When Oasis Agro introduced chicken farming containers to the region, she was able to return with honor to her village and support her family by selling the broiler chickens.
Her smile carried such strength and joy in being able to live in the village she loved.