PEARCY -- The Future Farmers of America chapter at Lake Hamilton High School was one of 12 in the state recently chosen by Tractor Supply Co. to receive grant funding as a part of the "Grants for Growing" program.
The FFA chapter at Malvern High School was among the 11 other recipients. Grant funding was also awarded to the high school FFA chapters at Batesville, Brookland, Decatur, Deer, Lead Hill, Mansfield, Prairie Grove, Springdale Har-Ber, Valley View and Yellville-Summit.
Chapters were primarily selected based on the merit of their applications explaining how they proposed to use the funding to aid their communities. The minimum amount was $500, but no cap was placed on the amount of funding a chapter could request for its project.
"The response to our first national 'Grants for Growing' has been very positive and is a meaningful way to provide critical funding to FFA members who want to make a difference in their communities," said Christi Korzekwa, senior vice president of marketing at Tractor Supply Co.
"Tractor Supply's commitment to giving back to the communities that we serve is very important, and this program demonstrates our desire to support our current and future customers, as well as our future team members."
Recipients were eligible to use the funds in a variety of ways to benefit their communities, such as buying vegetation, trees, seed, chickens, feed, mulch or tools to help start or expand an FFA project. Tractor Supply Co. and the National FFA Foundation informed the recipients.
The Lake Hamilton FFA received $500 to raise egg-laying hens for the food bank at the Lake Hamilton Parent Center. The school FFA advisers are Jason Braziel and Alex Dykes.
The chapter had already built a hen house with egg-laying boxes and has a source to obtain fertilized eggs. A large incubator is available to hatch the eggs.
A coop will be built on the outside of the hen house. Grant funds will also be used for feed, feeders, water dispensers and egg cartons.
According to advisers, the program is intended to serve classes throughout the agriculture program. Students will work together to hatch the eggs and raise the chicks.
Students will learn about determining gender in chickens to remove the males. Hen health and care will be discussed and practiced in science classes.
An in-store event sponsored by Tractor Supply was held Feb. 19-28 to complement its donation. Shoppers were offered the opportunity to donate $1 at checkout in support of the program.
All in-store event funds raised in Arkansas remained within the state. Tractor Supply operates more than 1,500 stores in 49 states.
The program was offered on a national level for the first time in 2016 after the company received positive feedback from preselected communities in 2015. The 10-day fundraiser helped raise $706,987 to fund 374 grants to impact more than 39,000 students across the country.
The National FFA Foundation builds partnerships with industry, education, government, other foundations and individuals. About 82 percent of every dollar received by the foundation supports FFA members and agricultural education opportunities.
Local on 04/30/2016