By MEGGIE I. FOSTER
Assistant Editor CHARLOTTESVILLE, Ind. — Designed to benefit local farming communities across the nation, the Monsanto Fund’s America’s Farmers Grow Communities (AFGC) program recently awarded a local FFA chapter in central Indiana with a check for $2,500.
On March 1, the Eastern Hancock (EH) FFA Chapter accepted the grant from award recipient and local Hancock County farmer Bruce Schuyler and Monsanto-DeKalb-Asgrow District Representative Mike Dunleavy.
Schuyler filled out the AFGC application based on encouragement from part-time employee and Eastern Hancock FFA Freshman Michael Sitton. Once Schuyler was selected to receive the award, his not-for-profit of choice was the Eastern Hancock FFA.
“We will use the money for entries in Career Development Events and to help fund state convention expenses,” said EH Ag Advisor Scott Jacobs. “Because we’re an active chapter, we’re constantly spending a lot of money, so really it’s a Godsend for us. We’re always trying to figure out how we’re going to make getting to events possible.”
Dunleavy, whose son is a junior and also an FFA member at Eastern Hancock, encouraged FFA Advisors Jacobs and Natalie Schilling to participate in the program.
“I knew this would be a great opportunity for Eastern Hancock FFA … so Natalie and Scott made it a project and asked students to sign up local farmers in hopes that if selected they would chose to present the grant to Eastern Hancock,” Dunleavy explained.
Schuyler, a grain farmer in the area met the program requirements including being engaged in farming a minimum of 250 acres of corn, soybeans. Other program requirements specify that either 30,000 acres of corn, soybeans and/or cotton or vegetables are planted per calendar year based on January 2010 USDA data, a requirement that Hancock County met handily.
According to the Monsanto Fund, recipients of the grant could include FFA, 4-H, school or other civic organization including a hospital, fire department or food pantry.
“With the success that Eastern Hancock FFA has had, I knew this would help support existing programs. In the end it worked out really well for them,” added Dunleavy.
The AFGC program started with 179 awards in Missouri, Arkansas and Iowa. Due to its success, the program expanded to 298 counties in California, Kansas, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and South Dakota, and later expanded nationally to include 38 states and 1,204 counties. In total, the Monsanto Fund made over $3 million available to farmers to benefit their favorite community charity or not-for-profit organization.
Additionally, for every farmer that applied, $1 went to their local United Way to help charitable organizations dealing with hunger.
While the application period from Aug. 31, 2010 to December 31, 2010 has ended, Monsanto hopes to offer the program again in 2011.
For more information, visit www.growcommunities.com |
