LEXINGTON, Ky. – Central Kentucky Ag Credit has donated $15,000 to the Kentucky FFA Foundation as part of its continued support of supervised agriculture experience launch grants and the Kentucky State FFA Convention.

The donation will fund 20 students, giving recipients $500 each to start or expand their supervised agricultural experience.

“Central Kentucky Ag Credit has been involved with the Kentucky FFA Foundation for many years,” Jonathan Noe, president and CEO of Central Kentucky Ag Credit, told Farm World.

“We’ve been regular sponsors of the Kentucky State FFA Convention and State FFA Gala; however, we’ve only recently increased our support to include the supervised agricultural experience launch grants,” he added.

He said supervised agricultural experience launch grants are grants for students looking to start a new entrepreneurial project, or enhance an existing project.

“Students put together a business plan and budget to support the grant request, as well as a recommendation letter from their teacher,” he said.

“These grants help students learn the value of not only starting a business, but what it takes to obtain capital to operate and maintain it,” he added. “These are life lessons that promote leadership skills and confidence in these young entrepreneurs.”

Currently, nearly 7,000 Kentucky FFA members live in Central Kentucky Ag Credit’s 17-county service area. Central Kentucky Ag Credit’s sponsorship of a proficiency at the State FFA Convention helps Kentucky FFA deliver this leadership event to FFA members at a minimal cost to the students.

Funding covers prize money for regional finalists in that proficiency, as well as a trophy for the state winner, and a travel scholarship to the National FFA Convention, if they qualify.

Sheldon McKinney, executive director of the Kentucky FFA Foundation, said Kentucky FFA is growing the next generation of agriculturalists that will change the world.

“Our students are future farmers, customers, employees and community leaders,” she said. “Central Kentucky Ag Credit’s support makes a difference for these students, their communities, and agricultural education across the Commonwealth.”

Noe said, “FFA has been so instrumental in the growth and development of many of our staff members and cooperative members, we felt that we needed to do more to support them. Our organization has benefited greatly from the work the FFA Foundation has done for so many years, and we simply want to give back some of what has been given to us.

“We are thankful that FFA is preparing the future leaders of our industry so effectively,” he said. “Being a beneficiary of that, we feel it is our responsibility to give back so that many more young people can share that same experience.

“I don’t know of any organization that prepares young people for leadership and life more than FFA,” he added. “We want to do our part to see that FFA’s positive impact continues in the lives of our youth and the agriculture industry for many years to come.”