SUN PRAIRIE — The Compeer Financial Fund for Rural America, the Farm Credit cooperative’s giving program, awarded a total of $229,852 through the Agriculture Education and Classroom Equipment Grant Program this year. Sixty-five high schools in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin located across Compeer Financial’s territory will be receiving grants of up to $4,000 each, funding a variety of hands-on learning tools and new technologies for agriculture education classrooms.
The lives of 11,573 students will be directly impacted through this grant program, which is intended to support agriculture education and motivate youth to further their knowledge of the agriculture industry. With this ever-changing industry comes the need for program funding, and that’s where Compeer Financial steps in.
“The goal of this grant program is to help develop and enhance modern, comprehensive agriculture education in schools, teaching students about its importance and limitless potential,” said Karen Schieler, Senior Corporate Giving Specialist. “The agriculture industry offers a variety of career opportunities, and exposing young adults to this starts in the classroom. These grants help to fuel the inspiration and exposuree students receive in high schools.”
High school agriculture departments throughout Compeer Financial’s 144-county territory were eligible to apply for an Agriculture Education and Classroom Equipment Grant.
Locally, both the Monroe and New Glarus High School Agriculture Departments were awarded Compeer Financial’s Agriculture Education and Classroom Equipment Grant.
The Monroe High School Ag Department was awarded $2,500 through Compeer’s Agriculture Education and Classroom Equipment Grant Program to purchase a Swine Litter Processing Simulator and Supply Pack. Ms. Danielle Pernot, Monroe Agriculture Instructor, stated “The four simulation piglets will be used in the animal science class at Monroe High School to give students a hands on experience when performing swine animal care practices such as teeth and tail clipping, ear notching and castration. The Supply Pack purchased will be able to support the animal science class at Monroe High School for the next 5 years.”
Ms. Hanna Kearns, Agriculture Instructor and FFA Advisor at New Glarus High School used the $4,000 in Agriculture Education and Classroom Equipment Grant funding to purchase a Fork Farms Hydroponic Grow Tower. The tower uses a water system with submersible pump and energy efficient LED light tower to support 288 plant spaces. Kearns and her students are currently growing lettuce in the tower and will use the produce in the school’s salad bar. The tower will be used as a learning tool in both New Glarus’s Environmental Sustainability and Plant, Soil and Hydroponics classes this school year.
Local organizations receiving grants in 2022 include:
WISCONSIN
Cuba City School District: simulator with removable cervix, reproductive tract and cow hide cover; gloves; stages of corpus luteum development models; stages of fetal development models; Quick start guide; and Online access to curriculum
Dodgeville FFA: fertilizer injector, cart and plumbing kit, water line, drip lines and adaptors, start-up seeds, digital scales, fertilizer, irrigation control, pollinators, growing supports, picking trays, grow bags, pruning shears, PVC pipe and components, and submersible pumps
Monroe High School — Agriculture Department: swine litter processing simulators and supply pack
New Glarus High School: hydroponic grow tower
ILLINOIS
Dakota High School: irrigation system for greenhouse, drone system, welding gloves, hoods, aprons and virtual welding software
Orangeville FFA: water source for greenhouse
