BATAVIA, Ill. - AGCO Parts, a division of AGCO Corporation (NYSE:AGCO), a worldwide manufacturer and distributor of agricultural equipment, awarded five scholarships worth $6,500 at the 13th Annual Touch-A-Tractor event held by the Kane County Farm Bureau (KCFB). An additional $9,000 was raised by AGCO Parts for farm-accident victims.
The five scholarship recipients are all Illinois-resident students pursuing an agriculture-related field of study. “Last year, we funded two scholarships,” said Andrea Achermann, AGCO Global Women’s Network (AGWN) President, Batavia Chapter. “We made a goal to raise additional funds this year and more than doubled that amount.”
AGCO Parts employees raised the scholarship fund money entirely from employees through events like a monthly donation in exchange for the privilege of wearing jeans to work.
“By mid-century, the world will have an additional 2.5 billion mouths to feed. Agriculture needs to attract the best and brightest minds in hundreds of career fields to meet this global food challenge and protect resources for future generations,” said Joe White, President, Kane County Farm Bureau Foundation.
The following students are this year’s scholarship recipients:
AGCO Platinum Scholarship, $2,500
- Erin Kettelkamp of Elburn, IL. Kettlekamp currently attends the University of Illinois, majoring in veterinary medicine.
AGWN Parts Division Scholarship, $1,000 each
- Susie Thompson of Maple Park, IL. Thompson currently attends Illinois State University, majoring in agricultural communications.
- Catherine Austin of Harvard, IL. Austin will attend the University of Wisconsin, Platteville, majoring in agribusiness and accounting.
AGCO Parts Division Scholarship, $1,000 each
- Kristen Hoffman of Kingston, IL. Hoffman currently attends Iowa State University, majoring in agribusiness.
- Heidi Smith of Sycamore, IL. Smith currently attends the University of Wisconsin, Platteville, majoring in agribusiness.
Scholarship applicants were evaluated on academics, exceptional leadership involvement, professional goals, financial need, and references.
In addition to the scholarships, AGCO Parts, in cooperation with the Kane County Farm Bureau Foundation, raised over $9,000 from toy and merchandise sales at the annual Touch-A-Tractor event, which will be donated to farm-accident victims.
The AGCO Global Women’s Network (AGWN) is dedicated to developing, promoting and advocating leadership of women as growers of profitability, collaboration and a diverse culture across AGCO. The twenty-plus members of AGWN Batavia have a proud history of giving back to their community, including volunteering at the local food bank, distributing clothing donations to those in need and raising money for youth agriculture education scholarships.
The Kane County Farm Bureau is a voluntary-membership association serving the needs and interests of more than 15,000 local families. Membership is open to all who support a stable, profitable farm and food sector as a vital part of a strong and prosperous economy in a free society.
For more information about AGCO or to find a local dealer, visit www.agcocorp.com.
For more information about the Kane County Farm Bureau, visit http://www.kanecfb.com.
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Kelli Cook, AGCO, kelli.cook@agcocorp.com, 404-353-3607
©2018 AGCO Corporation.
AGCO (NYSE: AGCO) is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of agriculture equipment and solutions and supports more productive farming through its full line of equipment and related services. AGCO products are sold through five core brands, Challenger®, Fendt®, GSI®, Massey Ferguson® and Valtra®, supported by Fuse® precision technologies and farm optimization services. Founded in 1990, AGCO is headquartered in Duluth, GA, USA. In 2017, AGCO had net sales of $8.3 billion. For more information, visit http://www.AGCOcorp.com. For company news, information and events, please follow us on Twitter: @AGCOCorp. For financial news on Twitter, please follow the hashtag #AGCOIR.