Iowa FFA chapters awarded ‘Planting A Seed’ Grants 

ANKENY, Iowa — Eight Iowa FFA chapters have been awarded $1,500 “Planting A Seed” grants by the Iowa Food & Family Project (Iowa FFP) to conduct activities that increase agricultural awareness in their communities and interest among youth in food production and life sciences.

The program is sponsored by DuPont Pioneer in cooperation with the Iowa FFA Foundation.
 

Grant recipients are: Boone A& M FFA; Charles City FFA; Clay-Central/Everly FFA, Everly; LaPorte Dysart FFA, LaPorte City; Nevada FFA; Starmont FFA, Arlington; Tri-Star FFA, Guttenberg; and West Liberty FFA. 

The chapters will use grant funding to conduct programs this spring to promote interest in ag-related careers and the roles that science and technology play in providing wholesome food using less land and fewer inputs. They’ll be recognized in April at the Iowa FFA State Leadership Conference in Ames, Iowa. The chapter determined to have conducted the most innovative and successful activity will be presented a $2,000 Award of Excellence to be used for general chapter activities.

“A growing population presents challenges and tremendous opportunities for Iowa’s agricultural  community,” said Todd Frazier, DuPont Pioneer business director. “By nurturing the next generation of agronomists, researchers and scientists, we can leverage Iowa’s rich agricultural legacy to meet the challenge.”

The Iowa Food & Family Project (www.iowafoodandfamily.com) unites Iowans in conversations about good food and the farmers who grow it through personal engagement and advocacy. It involves more than 30 partners including the Iowa Soybean Association, Iowa Turkey Federation, Iowa Beef Industry Council, Machine Shed Restaurant, Iowa Pork Producers Association and Farm Credit Services of America. The Iowa FFP proudly serves as Presenting Sponsor of the Iowa Games and supporter of Live Healthy Iowa. It is funded in part by the soybean checkoff. 

The Iowa FFA Foundation (www.iowaffafoundation.org) builds partnerships with individuals and businesses to provide support for agricultural education. It serves as an advocate to stimulate, promote and strengthen the young people of Iowa, who will ultimately lead the next generation of agriculture, by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success.

COTTAGE GROVE, Wis. — Landmark Services Cooperative recently announced its 2012 scholarship recipients. The cooperative awarded 15 scholarships to collegiate students pursuing post-secondary education in Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota. 

Receiving an award of $750 each, this year’s scholarship recipients are as follows: Alisha Frohmader, Wisconsin Dells, Wis.; John Gutzman, Rio, Wis.; Joshua Halvensleben, Evansville, Wis.; Benjamin Julka, Rosendale, Wis.; Kathryn Knudtson, Juda, Wis.; Bradley Mauerman, Albany, Wis.; Katherine McGuire, Brodhead, Wis.; Meaghan McGuire, Brodhead, Wis.; Joe Mulcahy, Dane, Wis.; Molly Patterson, Evansville, Wis.; Tori Ruf, Arlington, Wis.; Sarah Silver, Monticello, Wis.; Madelyn Walters, Hebron, Ill.; Emily Wendorf, Delavan, Wis.; and Alexander Zellmer, Montello, Wis.

“These scholarship recipients represent a strong future for agriculture and rural America,” says Shannon Horstmeyer, who coordinates the scholarship program at Landmark Services Cooperative. “Landmark has a commitment to building a strong future for its members and our communities, both through our team of experts and our community involvement. Our scholarship program helps us invest in our future by supporting education and programs connected to agriculture and rural America.”

Scholarships were awarded during Landmark Services Cooperative’s annual scholarship recipient luncheon on Jan. 3 at The Oak Grove’s Golf Course in Cottage Grove, Wis. 

Recipients were selected from a pool of applicants based on cumulative grade point average, leadership, scholastic achievement, extracurricular activities, personal motivation and academic and career goals. All members of Landmark Services Cooperative and their children attending four-year universities, two-year technical programs or short courses and high school seniors planning for postsecondary education were eligible to apply for the awards.

As part of the Landmark Gives Back program, Landmark has awarded more than $155,000 in scholarships throughout the Landmark Services Cooperative trade territory in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois since the program’s inception in 1989.

Landmark Services Cooperative is a member-owned cooperative business dedicated to providing both rural and urban customers the highest quality products and services. For more than 75 years, Landmark has been providing agronomy, energy, animal nutrition, grain, retail and transportation products and services to its more than 15,000 members in South Central Wisconsin and Northern Illinois. For more information, visit www.landmark.coop or call 1-800-236-3276.