Holly FFA Receives Colorado Corn Grant

FFA Career Development Students

Local FFA chapters awarded Colorado Corn grant dollars to help with various projects

The Colorado Corn Administrative Committee (CCAC) recently awarded a total of $7,500 to three FFA chapters in Colorado, helping those students and advisers with projects ranging from greenhouse irrigation and fertilization systems to livestock facilities, and in one particular case, helping a brand-new chapter get off the ground.

Adding to its support of other youth-focused projects, the CCAC began its FFA grant program in 2013, and has now contributed a total of $28,984 to local FFA chapters around the state through the program.

“Our board members and staff view the Colorado Corn FFA Grant Program as one of our most worthwhile endeavors,” said Colorado Corn CEO Mark Sponsler. “We believe any investments that assist the top-notch youth who make up our FFA chapters are always dollars well-spent.”

This year’s Colorado Corn FFA Grant recipients (receiving $2,500 each) are:

Holly FFA Chapter

The Holly FFA Chapter will use its grant dollars to install an automated watering system and fertilizer injector in its greenhouse – where the students raise flowers and vegetables, sell them to the public, and use the proceeds to help fund the chapter’s activities.

Manzanola FFA Chapter

The Manzanola School District is in the process of initiating an FFA Chapter – currently waiting to have its application approved by the state – and will use its awarded Colorado Corn grant dollars to help fund various aspects of its needed curriculum, as well as FFA jackets and other items for its inaugural members.

Sedgwick County FFA Chapter

With its awarded grant dollars, the Sedgwick County FFA Chapter will build a 50-by-20-foot structure on its school farm, which will be used for raising market hogs as an organization to sell to the community, among other projects. The structure will also provide space for raising animals as fair projects for interested youth who otherwise couldn’t, because of space or other constraints.