Farm Credit offers $2K scholarships

Farm Credit Services of Mid-America, a $13 billion agriculture lending cooperative serving farmers and rural America in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and Tennessee, reaffirmed its commitment to educational success by making $36,000 in scholarships available in 2008 to children of members who are studying agriculture or business at four-year universities.

Eighteen scholarships, valued at $2,000 each, will be awarded based on academic record, leadership qualities, and community involvement.

The scholarship deadline is Feb. 29. Scholarships will be awarded in May for the 2008-09 school year.

To apply, go online to the Web site www.e-farmcredit.com and click on ‘Community Support’ to download the application. Or call 473-8436 to talk to the local office about obtaining an application.

‘We can think of no better way to invest in our future than through providing scholarships to deserving students choosing to pursue careers in agriculture, financing or ag business,’ said John Hanson, a financial services officer with Farm Credit in McMinnville. ‘As agriculture continues to grow and evolve, we want students to be at the forefront of the industry and grow with it.’

The scholarships are part of the cooperative’s new stewardship program which involves returning greater value to rural America by increasing the association’s investment in education and youth activities.