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Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation recently awarded $21,500 in grants to eight organizations of which five were county Farm Bureaus. The foundation’s Action & Awareness grants, which ranged from $1,500 to $3,000, focus on four core areas: economic development, education, environment and the human-animal bond. The grants support efforts to promote and improve Ohio’s agricultural industry as well as local communities.

Grant recipients and projects:

Ashland County Farm Bureau to support a grain bin safety training site that is planned to be built at the Wayne County Regional Training Facility in Apple Creek.

Harrison County Farm Bureau for its FFA Career Day and Family Chicken BBQ in conjunction with Harrison Central FFA. The event will educate young people about the wide range of career opportunities in the agricultural industry as well as the projected shortage of qualified ag employees.

Highland Youth Garden to provide funding for a gardener/educator to support the educational programs at the inner city Columbus garden.

Muskingum County Farm Bureau for its Farm City Day, which will educate youths and nonfarming families about today’s agricultural industry.

Pike County Farm Bureau to support its Grain Bin Safety and Educational Training Event for first responders and fire departments in the county. The county Farm Bureau also plans to purchase a grain bin safety tube for the community.

Sunbury Urban Farm in central Ohio for its Farm Day Camp where children spend the summer planting, caring for, harvesting and cooking the vegetables grown in a garden.

Together We Grow Inc. in Newark to support the purchase of mechanized farm equipment to help the organization more efficiently run its growing community garden programs.

Wayne County Farm Bureau to support a promotional video of the Wayne County Farm Tour that will be shown at the county fair and through social media.

Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit, public, charitable organization registered in Ohio. Since 1985, the foundation has provided funding across the state for both small and large projects, including the Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center on the Ohio State University campus. It also endowed Ohio State’s C. William Swank Chair for Agricultural Economics and Rural Development.

The next application cycle for an Action & Awareness Grant is July 1 to Oct. 2. Grants may be used for general support, startup funding for new organizations, program expansion or capital for equipment necessary to implement eligible programs. Learn more at ofbf.org/foundation/aagrants/.

This is a news release for use by journalists. Questions should be directed to Chris Baker, Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation executive director, [email protected] or 614-246-8275.