CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. – As farmers and staff members of Ceres Solutions Cooperative are busy investing time and effort getting the 2022 crop planted and serviced, another group of Ceres Solutions employees took time to make an investment of a different kind The financial kind.

Ceres Solutions’ central office staff, represented by CEO Jeff Troike, recently presented a donation totaling $7,000 to Indiana 4-H Foundation for the benefit of programming that reaches students all across the Ceres Solutions trade area. The funds were generated through a Ceres donation and a matching grant from Ceres’ partner, Land O’Lakes Foundation. The checks were received by 4-H Foundation Executive Director Shelly Bingle, and are already earmarked to support an exciting 4-H Round Up experience for middle school children, the Junior Leader Conference in Indianapolis, and the Scholarship Luncheon in the fall.

“Our partners at Land O’Lakes and the customers who do business with us make these donations possible,” Troike said. “It is especially rewarding to be able to invest in scholarships and 4-H programs that specifically benefit rural children.”

In addition to this $7,000 investment, more than $66,000 in charitable donations is being distributed to dozens of county 4-H youth program leaders within Indiana and Michigan, thanks again to Ceres Solutions and a matching investment from Land O’Lakes. The donations are greatly appreciated at the county level by extension staff who use the funds to purchase supplies and support programming.

In addition to financial donations, Ceres Solutions team members donate fair week supplies and manpower hours to help area 4-H kids enjoy a safe and successful fair season. “Fair season will be here before we know it. After two challenging years, we stand beside all our county extension staff who are looking forward to returning to the traditional fair experience that helps develop so many youth into tomorrow’s future leaders,” said Laurel Mann, of Ceres Solutions, who helped coordinate the donations.

Ceres Solutions Cooperative, based in Crawfordsville, serves more than 35 counties in Indiana and Michigan. For more information, visit www.ceres.coop, or follow the company on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.