Farm Bureau adds new award to scholarship program

» February 13, 2007 «

Expanded opportunities await college students who apply for scholarships through the California Farm Bureau Scholarship Foundation. The foundation has added a new scholarship, with a special emphasis, to the awards it grants each year.

The additional scholarship, known as the Rustici Livestock and Rangeland Scholarship Award, will be granted to students who intend to pursue a career in beef or sheep ranching or in range management. It is aimed specifically at students studying rangeland management who maintain a grade point average of 2.0 or higher.

The California Farm Bureau Scholarship Foundation provides 30 or more scholarships each year to students at four-year California colleges who intend to become farmers or ranchers or to work in an agricultural career. The foundation has awarded more than $1.1 million in undergraduate scholarships since its inception.

"California agriculture faces many challenges. We need the best minds to help solve those challenges and create new opportunities for our farmers and ranchers," said California Farm Bureau Federation Administrator George Gomes, who serves on the foundation board. "Farm Bureau has long supported furthering the education of students who want to pursue careers in agriculture."

The new livestock-and-rangeland scholarship becomes the fifth special award the foundation grants each year. The four other special scholarships honor former Farm Bureau leaders Frederick J. Heringer and Howard P. Wackman II, and former CFBF employees John H. Wiechman and Carolyn S. Richardson.

The foundation board will select individuals who meet the criteria for the special awards. No additional application information is needed.

Complete information and the scholarship application may be downloaded from the California Farm Bureau Web site at www.cfbf.com/programs/scholar. Applications for the 2007 scholarship program close on March 1.

The California Farm Bureau Federation, the state's largest farm organization, works to protect family farms and ranches on behalf of nearly 92,000 members.

Contact: Dave Kranz
Phone: 916/561-5550
news@cfbf.com

Permission for use is granted, however, credit must be made to the California Farm Bureau Federation when reprinting this item.