2020 Ag Education Grants Awarded
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Nora Nolden, Communications Consultant
[email protected] or (651) 245-6804
Compeer Financial Awards 66 Schools Ag Education & Classroom Equipment Grants
Sun Prairie, Wis., (June 4, 2020) –The Compeer Financial Fund for Rural America, the Farm Credit corporate giving program, awarded a total of $153,012 through the Agriculture Education and Classroom Equipment Grant Program this year. Sixty-six high schools throughout Compeer Financial’s territory in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin will be receiving grants of up to $3,000 each to fund agriculture education programs and equipment in the classroom, directly impacting the lives of 11,947 students.
The grant program seeks to promote agriculture education and inspire youth to gain a deeper understanding of the ever-changing agriculture industry by funding programs and the modern classroom equipment.
“The goal of this program is to develop and enhance modern, comprehensive agriculture education in schools, teaching students about its importance and limitless potential,” said Karen Schieler, Senior Corporate Giving Specialist. “We know that many physical classrooms were empty at the end of the year this school year, and that agriculture instructors are eager to return to the classroom and expose students to the breadth and depth of the industry. We hope these grants will help them achieve those goals.”
High school agriculture departments throughout Compeer Financial’s 144-county territory were eligible to apply for an Agriculture Education and Classroom Equipment Grant.
The organizations receiving grants in 2020 include:
Illinois
Belvidere Agriculture and FFA Program: a grow tower, LED indoor grow lights, support cage, extension kit, tower garden dolly, seed, fertilizer and shipping costs
Bureau Valley Agriculture Department: for lab equipment including charging stations, optical sensor, compatible flat pH, ammonium ion-selective electrode, nitrate ion-selective electrode, CO2 gas sensor, soil moisture sensor, conductivity probe, pH buffer capsules, and LabQuest2 interfaces
Harvard Ag Department: Animal Science supplies, rubber aprons, student grade scalpels, vinyl gloves, and shipping costs
Lexington High School: for a mig welder, welding helmets, and welding supplies and materials
Lincoln-Way East High School: for a welder
Lincoln-Way West High School: for a welder
Olympia High School: for new benches in the greenhouse
River Ridge High School: for a wood planer
Rochelle Township High School/ Rochelle FFA: for lab tables and chairs
Rolling Meadows High School: for hydroponics systems
Rushville-Industry FFA: for fixing the vent-fan system in the greenhouse
Scales Mound School: for a refrigerator, electric ranges with ovens, dishwasher, and microwave
Sterling High School: for Labquest 2 Interfaces and charging stations
Stillman Valley FFA Chapter: for digital microscopes
Sycamore High School Agriculture Department: for new greenhouse growing benches, potting benches and technician carts
Tri-Point High School: for SmartTVs with casting equipment
Tri-Valley High School: for electronic scales, animal science microscopes and supplies, animal behavior lab kit, fecal slide analysis lab activity
West Central FFA Chapter: for greenhouse ventilation packages including fans, shutters, thermostat and film
Minnesota
Chisago Lakes High School and FFA: for a walk-in outside cooler including electrical hookups, equipment, and adhesives to attach to the greenhouse
Cleveland High School: for digital scales, soil sample probes, food dehydrator, hot plates, water bath canner, pressure canner, food Processors-blenders, grow mats, grow lights, egg incubator, heat lamps, feeders, and waterers, and a set of veterinary equipment including needles, syringes, and bandaging material
Edgerton High School Agriculture Department: for greenhouse benches and heaters
Ellsworth Agriculture Department: for cooler buckets, Oasis blocks, floral wire, floral adhesive, floral tape, floral shears, foam knives, corsage bags, wristlets, corsage pins, flower food, dried products, ribbon, containers, and cut flowers
Foley Agriculture Education Department: for an electrical sensors training kit and curriculum
Hayfield Community Schools: for a plasma cutter, auto darkening welding helmets, welding gloves, and consumable kit
Heron Lake - Okabena High School: for a drone, battery, iPad mini, and FAA Drone Certification Course
Howard Lake - Waverly - Winsted: for a plant science kit and plant producer educational hydroponics system
Kingsland High School: for a mig welder
Madelia FFA: for a rabbit hutch kit, chicken pen, LabQuest2 Interfaces, CO2 gas sensor, dissolved oxygen sensor and soil moisture sensor
Mankato West High School: for a hydroponic system including rain gutters, covers, concrete blocks, hoses, water pumps, polyethylene tubing, fittings, net pots, rock wool, and hose clamps
Milaca High School: for a mig welder and consumables
NE Metro 916 Career and Technology: for CO2 gas sensors, colorimeters, heart rate monitors, O2 gas, pH sensor, temperature probes, conductivity probes, and respiration belt
Paynesville Area Agriculture Department: for a mobile light cart with shelves, light fixtures and growing lights, digital compound microscopes with LCD tablets with Wi-Fi capability, egg incubator, and egg scope
Pipestone Area High School: for a floor drill press, bench grinder, hand held grinders, drill bit sets, soldering irons, propane torch kits, palm sanders, auto darkening helmets, and hand tools
Plainview-Elgin-Millville High School Agriculture Program: for a drip-line watering system and flood table for the greenhouse
Rockford Agricultural Education: for a TV and Chromebox
Southland Public School: for a welder
Staples Motley High School: for a MiniPCR Kit, Mad Cow Disease Lab, Micropipette sets, CMT Kit, pans, digital thermometers, and safety lighters
Triton High School: for hydroponic indoor farms
Wisconsin
Albany School District: for garden hoes and shovels, gardening gloves, hose, soil, vegetable seeds, fertilizers, and storage bin
Alma FFA: for a bovine AI cervix training kit, laserjet and cartridges
Arcadia School District: for a hydroponics table and supplies
Cadott Community School District: for 3-in-1 bend-roll- and shear machines
Campbellsport High School: for a portable hydroponic system
DeForest Area School District- Agriculture Department: for a plant growth cart and hydroponic set up
Elk Mound High School: for a Flex Farm 288
Elmwood FFA: for orchard improvements
Flambeau High School Ag/FFA: for a welder and consumables
Howards Grove High School: for a refrigerator
Iowa-Grant School District Ag Department: for portable steel benches for the greenhouse
Laconia High School - Rosendale-Brandon School District: for a Flex Farm 144
Lancaster High School Agriculture Education Department: for electric ranges and refrigerator
Lomira High School: for a bovine breeder artificial insemination simulator
Mt. Horeb High School: for hydroponic units and accessories
New Auburn Agriscience Department: for a Carolina Plant Environmental Chamber
New Lisbon AgriScience Department: for Go Direct sensors and probes
Ripon High School Agriculture Education Department: for electrophoresis apparatuses, gel bottles, LED full spectrum grow light pack, light fixtures and shipping costs
River Valley FFA: for tank heaters, water pumps, water filters and cartridges, LED aquarium lights, aquarium gravel, water test kits, aquarium accessories and plants, cleaners and scrubbers, various rish types and species
School District of Ashland: for greenhouse and hydroponic system equipment and supplies
School District of Bloomer: for a CNC router
School District of Horicon: for hydroponic dutch bucket closed loop system for greenhouse
Shullsburg Schools: for electrophoresis equipment including chambers, power supplies, and a UV Transilluminator
St. Croix Falls School District Agriculture Education Department: for cookware and kitchen utensils
Vincent High School of Agricultural Sciences: for a glass door reach-in refrigerator
Wauzeka-Steuben School District: for expanding and upgrading the greenhouse
Wisconsin Dells FFA: for an egg incubator, food dehydrator, and GPS receivers
Wonewoc-Center FFA: for a bovine AI training kit and cow anatomy 3D flip chart
About the Fund for Rural America
The Compeer Financial Fund for Rural America is the corporate giving program of Compeer Financial, structured to support Compeer Financial’s mission to enrich agriculture and rural America. Compeer Financial’s Board of Directors has dedicated one percent of annual net earnings to support the Fund’s focus areas of agricultural advocacy and development, agriculture education, cooperative initiatives, rural development and community enrichment; and youth engagement. The Fund is managed by a Board of Trustees, made up of team members from Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin and members of the Compeer Financial Board of Directors. More information about opportunities available through the Fund can be found at Compeer.com/giving-back.
About Compeer Financial
Compeer Financial is a member-owned Farm Credit cooperative serving and supporting agriculture and rural communities. The $22.8 billion organization provides loans, leases, risk management and other financial services throughout 144 counties in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Based in the Upper Midwest, Compeer Financial exists to champion the hopes and dreams of rural America, while providing personalized service and expertise to clients and the agriculture industry.
Compeer Financial is the third largest cooperative of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of lending institutions supporting agriculture and rural communities with reliable, consistent credit and financial services. Learn more about Compeer Financial.
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