AgStar Fund for Rural America Awards County Fair Grants
A total of $60,000 is awarded to fairs serving AgStar’s local service area
MANKATO, Minn. (July 19, 2010) – The AgStar Fund for Rural America, the corporate giving program of AgStar Financial Services, is proud to announce it recently awarded $60,000 in grants for their County Fair Facility Upgrade Grant Program. This year AgStar awarded grants up to $2,500 to fund 26 county fairs in AgStar’s local service area.
The mission of this program is to support rural areas by funding county fair organizations as they maintain or upgrade fairground livestock buildings and judging arenas. “Yearly maintenance and general up-keep of these structures can be expensive, stated John Monson, Chair of AgStar’s Fund Board of Trustees. “An additional $10,000 was allocated to the program this year because the need was so great. This program helps these counties provide a better fair experience for area communities,” mentioned Monson.
The 26 Wisconsin and Minnesota counties receiving grants this year include: Benton, Blue Earth, Brown, Carver, Cottonwood, Crow Wing, Dakota, Dodge, Faribault, Fillmore, Douglas, Isanti, Jackson, Mower, Chippewa, Pierce, Pipestone, Polk, Rice, Rock, Scott, Sibley, Steele, Wabasha, Winona, and Wright.
Since its inception in 2001, the AgStar Fund has donated more than $2.9 million to organizations working to improve the future of rural America. The Fund’s mission is to “enhance the quality of life and future opportunities for rural residents and their communities.” The Fund focuses on one of the four key areas of support: Education, Technology, Environment and Quality of Life.
AgStar Financial Services, ACA, headquartered in Mankato, Minn., employs more than 600 full-time team members. The company is part of the national Farm Credit System and has a public mission to serve 69 counties in Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin. AgStar’s industry specialization, client segments and market delivery systems result in diversification nationwide. The company has expertise in the corn, soybean, swine, dairy and bio-energy industries. AgStar has developed successful programs in loans, leases, crop insurance, tax services, accounting, consulting and rural home mortgages. As a value-added financial services cooperative, AgStar allocates patronage dividends to its 13,000 stockholders. Visit www.AgStar.com for more information.
AgStar Contact:
Terri Fast
Terri.Fast@AgStar.com
507-344-5108
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