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The Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation recently awarded grants to fund efforts in agriculture-related programming.

“A robust farm and food community is something that everyone in Ohio is reliant upon,” said Mike Townsley, chairman of the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation board. “These fantastic grant recipients share a common goal to forge new programs and projects that will create enthusiasm for innovation and will promote growth in the interest and investment in Ohio’s farm and food community.”

Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation funds programs that create a positive, measurable impact in four core areas of giving through its Action and Awareness grants program:

Education – Providing grants for professional development programs allowing individuals to advance their knowledge of agriculture, share ideas and improve people’s lives.

Environment – Funding sensible solutions that contribute to a healthier, cleaner and more sustainable Ohio by focusing on increased care for land and water.

Economic Development – Capturing opportunities that build prosperity, create jobs and enhance the quality of life for Ohioans by funding projects that spur economic growth in local communities.

Human-Animal Bond – Promoting the proper care of animals and the many ways they bring quality to human life.

Grant amounts can be awarded up to $3,000 and are provided for a one-year period.

Following are those organizations awarded grants in the spring 2021 grant cycle:

Belmont Soil & Water Conservation District to purchase a soil testing probe and offer soil testing to landowners in the Captina Creek Watershed at no cost. Funding also will cover the costs of testing soil in hay and pasture fields in order to implement Best Management Practices.

Cuyahoga Valley Countryside Conservancy to support internship stipends for participants in the New Farmer Academy. This multiyear program creates paid career pathways for interns through classroom-style education.

Fairfield County Farm Bureau for its Foodpreneur Meat School, which educates producers, processors and policy stakeholders about local and regional meat production and marketing opportunities and challenges in Ohio and the region.

Gorman Heritage Farm Foundation to support the farm animals/livestock at Gorman Heritage Farm. Farm animals are vital to the agricultural education programs at Gorman Heritage Farm and encourage a human-animal bond, promoting the proper care of animals and the many ways they bring quality to human life.

Ohio FFA Foundation, Inc. to support the Ohio Agricultural Education Summer Conference, a three-day professional development conference designed for teachers of agriculture to network and get the latest information on classroom resources.

Pickaway County Farm Bureau to help students at the Ohio State University, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, Department of Meat Science, gain practical experience in meat processing.

Wild Hearts African Farm and its Wild Hearts STEM Lab, a teaching laboratory within the new Ag Education Center. This lab will help provide children and adults an immersive look into the world of animal care.

Find out more about these grants, along with eligibility requirements here.

The Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation, a 501(c) (3) charitable, nonprofit organization, understands the need to inspire innovation and cultivate investment in Ohio’s farm and food community. Learn more by visiting ofbf.org/foundation.

This is a news release for use by journalists. Questions should be directed to Ty Higgins, 614-246-8231 or [email protected].