Eight local farmers have directed $20,000 to area nonprofit organizations through America's Farmers Grow Communities, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund. The winning farmers and organizations participated in a presentation at the Fort Wayne Farm Show on Jan. 13. Each farmer directed a $2,500 Grow Communities donation to a nonprofit organization of their choice. Winners include:

Fort Wayne area farmers direct $20,000 in donations to local nonprofits

•Cheryl Hoover of Van Wert County, Ohio, directed her donation to the Wren Volunteer Fire Department and EMS.
•Cory Cox of Whitley County, Indiana, directed his donation to the Washington Township Volunteer Fire Department.
•Jerry Ness of Noble County, Indiana, directed his donation to the Noble County Community Foundation.
•John Maddox of Wells County, Indiana, directed his donation to Southern Wells Jr-Sr High School Athletic Department.
•Les Culler of Defiance County, Ohio, directed his donation to Fairview High School FFA.
•Marvin Werling of Allen County, Indiana, directed his donation to Central Lutheran School.
•Michael Werling of Adams County, Indiana, directed his donation to the Tri-State Water Shed Alliance.
•Richard Kummer of Dekalb County, Indiana, directed his donation to East Side High School FFA.

The farmer-directed donations will help local organizations build stronger communities in a variety of ways. For example, Hoover, of Van Wert, selected the Wren Volunteer Fire Department and EMS because the organization responded to a life-threatening 4-wheeler accident her husband was in this past fall. Now, the department will use the $2,500 donation to purchase new EMS slide mats and Leatherman raptor shears to help address similar emergency situations in the future.

America's Farmers Grow Communities has collaborated with farmers in Indiana and Ohio to donate over $2.7 million to local community organizations since 2010. Donations have been used to help fight rural hunger, purchase life saving fire and EMS equipment, support ag youth programs, purchase education classroom resources and more.

America's Farmers Grow Communities partners with farmers to support local nonprofit causes that positively impact farming communities across rural America. Grow Communities is one program in the America's Farmers community outreach effort, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund, which have donated more than $32 million to rural America since 2010. Other programs include, America's Farmers Grow Ag Leaders, which encourages rural youth to remain in agriculture and provides $1,500 college scholarships to high school and college students pursuing ag-related degrees and America's Farmers Grow Rural Education, which works with farmers to nominate rural school districts to compete for $10,000 and $25,000 math and science grants. Visit www.AmericasFarmers.com to learn more.

Now through April 1 farmers in eligible counties can nominate their local school district to compete for an America's Farmers Grow Rural Education grant at www.GrowRuralEducation.com.