Compeer Financial’s Fund for Rural America, the Farm Credit cooperative’s giving program, has awarded 34 General Use Grants, totaling $199,179.
General Use Grants fund initiatives and organizations whose work enriches agriculture and rural America, aligning with Compeer Financial’s mission.
These grants will directly impact the lives of 718,000 people and will touch 5.4 million lives, according to Compeer. Nearly a quarter of the grants will support projects with a direct farmer impact, while 26 percent will support agriculture education initiatives, and 32 percent address food insecurity.
Since the program was established in 2018, the fund has awarded 301 General Use Grants, totaling over $1.6 million. The Fund will offer this grant again in May 2022 to provide funding for summer 2022.
“The General Use Grant program impacts the communities where Compeer clients and team members live and work,” says Karen Schieler, senior corporate giving specialist at Compeer Financial. “The grants embody our commitment to enriching agriculture and rural America, and to the farmers and communities we serve.”
The 34 organizations receiving support from the General Use Grant Program throughout Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota include:
Wisconsin
Catholic Charities, Inc., Diocese of Madison: supplementing the quantity and quality of foods available
Dairy Girl Network: DGN Academy
Diamond Vu Agricultural Education Center: delivering educational sessions to rural school districts
Ethel Everhard Memorial Library: creating a space that invites patrons to learn and allows children and young adults to take an active role in their literacy
Farmers for Sustainable Food: media training workshops for farmer-led conservation spokespeople
Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin: baler and strapping machine for volunteer department
Foxhead Regenerative Agriculture Project: developing a local food and farms information network
GROW La Crosse: introducing students to hands-on learning opportunities in both urban and traditional growing practices
Indianhead Community Action Agency, Inc.: technical assistance for small business development support
Junior Achievement of Wisconsin: Junior Achievement programs in rural schools
YMCA of the North – Camp St. Croix: Camp St. Croix Farm & Garden Program
Illinois
After the Peanut Foundation: Lil Ag’ University
C.W. Avery Family YMCA: garden supplies for summer camp
Cornerstone Community Wellness, Inc.: general support to provide low cost services
Farm Foundation: Young Farmer Accelerator Program
FHN Foundation: new EKG machines
Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership of Illinois: educating students about food insecurity in rural America and a volunteer food packing experience
Jamieson Community Center: purchasing nutritious staple foods to provide a pantry box with a week’s worth of food
Livingston County Extension Council/Pontiac Townships High School FFA: Meals of Hope food packaging events
McHenry-Lake County Soil & Water Conservation District: Producer Outreach Meeting
Northern Illinois Food Bank: purchasing a walkie-rider pallet mover to safely and effectively handle products
River Bend Food Bank: cooler and freezer for Galesburg branch expansion
Streatorland Community Food Pantry: purchasing a new v-nose trailer with large weight capacity allowing the pantry to transport more food
Minnesota
Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota: installing an irrigation system to address watering needs and efficiently care for crop, garden and green spaces on the Museum’s outdoor campus
Clean River Partners: Bridgewater Streams Cover Crop Expansion Project
Farmamerica – Minnesota Ag Interpretive Center: agriculture education field trips for elementary schools
Farm-City Hub Club: farm safety presentations
Feeding Our Communities Partners: food purchases for youth hunger-relief programs
Generations Inc.: converting prep kitchen to a commercial kitchen
Junior Achievement North: Junior Achievement programs in rural schools
Main Street Project: Sharing Our Roots: multilingual technical assistance resources for beginning and aspiring farmers
North Star Farm Tour: e-commerce portal for farmers’ products and events
Urban Roots: youth education and training in farming and urban agricultural practices
Youth Farm: youth leadership programming
