Area farmers win money for not-for-profit groups in Monsanto drawing

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Some rural not-for-profit organizations are benefiting from local farmers' crop production and from a bit of their luck, too.

In January, Monsanto created America's Farmers Grow Communities Project, which allows farmers to register to win $2,500 for their favorite community charity. The initial program made awards through a random selection in Arkansas, Iowa and Missouri -- including farmers in Scott, New Madrid, Mississippi and Stoddard counties.

The program benefits not-for-profit community groups such as agriculture youth organizations, schools and other civic groups in an effort to strengthen rural America.

"It's a great shift to see funding is moving money out to rural America where we know it's needed and is put back into those communities where farmers live," said Gayla Daugherty, Monsanto community outreach manager, about the pilot program. "And who knows better than the farmers where the money is needed?"

There were 7,500 applicants in 179 counties who entered the pilot program, Daugherty said.

"It went over so well, and we got great feedback from farmers and were able to get the funding to take it nationally," Daugherty said.

Monsanto Fund -- which is supported through a portion of Monsanto's annual profits -- expanded the program over the summer to include farmers in 298 counties in California, Kansas, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and South Dakota.

"We are now launching the program in 38 states and 1,204 counties," Daugherty said. "Now we see it being an annual program."

71 counties

In Missouri, Monsanto expects to donate $177,500 in 71 counties. Counties were selected based on crop parameters from the January 2010 USDA report.

Local winners for the pilot program were: Charlie Beis of Portageville, who donated the funds to New Madrid 4-H; Dicky Hanor of Charleston, who chose to support the Charleston Nutrition Center; Eric Priggel of Oran, who gave to the Oran Park Fund; and Jeff Dixon of Bloomfield, who granted the funds to the Star Banner 4-H.

Hanor said he learned about the program in a magazine and entered by telephone.

He was surprised last spring when he received a phone call from Monsanto, saying he'd been randomly selected as the winner for Mississippi County.

"They said it had to be some kind of not-for-profit, and I thought about the nutrition center and I thought they needed the money," Hanor said.

Entering the drawing is simple.

"There's nothing to it, and you just put your name in it," Hanor said.

Entrants must be at least 21 and actively engaged in farming a minimum of 250 acres of corn, soybeans and/or cotton, 40 acres of open field vegetables or at least 10 acres of tomatoes, peppers and/or cucumbers grown in protected culture. They must also reside in eligible counties where a minimum of 30,000 acres of corn and/ or soybeans and/or cotton and/or vegetables are planted each year.

Daugherty said it takes about only two minutes to enter for a chance to win funds for a county. The application deadline is Dec. 31. Winners will be randomly selected in January 2011 and announced by February 2011. For every farmer who applies, Monsanto will donate $1 to their local United Way, Daugherty said.

Recipients could include FFA, 4-H, school or other civic organization, such as a hospital, fire department or food pantry, Daugherty said.

"It's really cool to hear some of the stories from winning farmers," Daugherty said. "There was a farmer in Iowa who chose to donate the money to the local emergency responder. They had actually saved him when he was pinned under a tractor and called for help from his cell phone."

Daugherty said farmers who won funding for their counties in the first initiative can enter themselves again for this second round.

Hanor said he's already entered.

"It was a great honor to win it," the Charleston farmer said. "and the Nutrition Center was tickled to death ... $2,500 is a pretty good chunk of money."

Eligible farmers can fill out an entry form at www.growcommunities.com or by calling 1-877-267-3332 to receive a copy of the entry form and rules. Completed entries can be mailed to Eileen Jensen, 914 Spruce St., St. Louis, MO 63102. One winner will be drawn for each eligible county from all eligible entrants received for that county. No purchase is necessary to enter or win.