Contact:
Molly Zentz, APR
317-692-7822
765-469-3150
mzentz@infb.org

(Indianapolis) – April 14, 2020 – Indiana Farm Bureau awarded development grants to five county Farm Bureaus to support new or expanded county Farm Bureau programs or events that promote or provide education about agriculture. The county Farm Bureaus that will receive financial assistance for programming this year are Benton, Clinton, Fulton, Huntington and Putnam counties.   

Each awarded county Farm Bureau presented a new or expanded programming idea to INFB. The grant committee reviewed and approved the funds based on financial need and the potential impact of the program in reaching organizational goals. 

“Our county Farm Bureaus across the state put much of their focus each year on educating their communities about agriculture,” said Isabella Chism, INFB 2nd vice president. “The programs they launch get more and more creative each year. I’m excited to see that this year’s awarded counties are taking advantage of Indiana Farm Bureau’s grant program to create programming that provides real value to their communities – from educating children about agriculture to discussing the importance of safety on a farm.” 

This year’s INFB county program grants will support the following programs: 

• Benton County Farm Bureau was awarded $1,500 to launch an agriculture awareness campaign for movie-goers in their community. The goal of the program is to promote agriculture with video spots before each showing of a movie at the Fowler Theater in Fowler, Indiana. Benton County Farm Bureau will engage other local agriculture organizations in this project in an effort to promote the entire agriculture industry in Benton County.
  
  
• Clinton County Farm Bureau was awarded $1,500 to launch a Rural Safety Education program. The goal is to host an interactive safety clinic at the Clinton County Fairgrounds, covering on-farm and off-farm dangers and security procedures, such as grain bin safety, ATV safety, livestock handling safety, farm pond and water safety and safe chemical handling. Clinton County Farm Bureau is also interested in using this opportunity to discuss opioid and alcohol abuse signs with their community.
  
  
• Fulton County Farm Bureau was awarded $1,500 to bring a family-fun, interactive game show about agriculture to fairgoers at their county fair this summer. The trivia-based game, Wheels of Agriculture, is designed to educate the players and the audience about agriculture – covering the basics of animal and plant agriculture – to teach the community about the origins of their food. Fulton County Farm Bureau is hoping to host the game show each evening of the fair.

• Huntington County Farm Bureau was awarded $1,000 to host its 2nd “Breakfast on the Farm” event. This year’s event will focus on the local dairy farmer. The community will be invited to visit a working dairy farm to have breakfast and learn how a modern farm operates. The goal of the breakfast is to demonstrate how agriculture plays a crucial role in the everyday lives of each member of the community.
  
  
• Putnam County Farm Bureau was awarded $1,500 to initiate a training program for the county volunteer fire departments to prepare them to appropriately handle a grain bin emergency in Putnam County. The county Farm Bureau also is working to secure the proper equipment for the fire departments to have on hand in the event of a grain bin accident. This training is an important step toward safety for crop farmers, their families and their employees. 

INFB’s program development grants are issued annually. All Indiana county Farm Bureaus are eligible to apply for up to $1,500 in funding each year. 

### 

About Indiana Farm Bureau: For more than 100 years, Indiana Farm Bureau (INFB) has promoted agriculture in Indiana through public education, member engagement, and by advocating for agricultural and rural needs. As the state’s largest general farm organization, INFB works diligently to ensure a farmer’s right to farm—protecting the livelihood, land, equipment, animals and crops of Hoosier farmers—because agriculture is vital to Indiana’s economy. Learn more at INFB.org.