2024 Ag Awareness Breakfast
The McLean County Chamber of Commerce Agri-business Council invites you to celebrate and show support for agriculture education and the advancement of agriculture in our community during the McLean County Chamber of Commerce Agriculture Awareness Breakfast on Tuesday, March 19, 2024 at 7:00 a.m. The breakfast highlights FFA Service Award Winners, Maitland Scholarship Fund Recipients, and will feature a keynote address from Heartland Community College President, Keith Cornille.
The event program will begin at 7:00 am on March 19th, is open to the community, and free to attend thanks to our generous event sponsors.
It is not too late to join us as a Mission Partner in Agriculture for 2024. Our Mission Partners in Agriculture celebrate and show support for agriculture education and the advancement of agriculture in our community. This is increasingly important in a world where less people are connected personally to production agriculture. The Ag Awards Dinner recognizes leaders from across a broad spectrum of the Ag community and brings together 200 Ag leaders and supporters.
John Maitland Agricultural Awareness Fund
Now in its 22nd year, the John Maitland Agriculture Awareness Fund celebrates teachers and students of our communities that are working to incorporate agriculture into their lesson plans, classrooms, and youth learning experiences.
As McLean County's largest industry, agriculture plays an imperative role in the success of our communities and every household in the United States benefits from the hard work of farmers and agriculture professionals.
However, agriculture awareness is one of the top issues facing McLean County. A growing number of McLean County students assume that food comes from a store - not a farm. The agriculture population lacks impact in the voting booth, so the need to educate our youth about agriculture, especially as citizens take safe, cheap food policies for granted, is more important than ever.
The funds are invested through the local McLean County Extension Foundation with the University of Illinois Foundation, with professional fund managers striving for maximum return on investment. This grant is made possible by generous contributions from the Maitland family. The funds collected from the “pass the hat” prior to and at the breakfast will be matched by the Maitlands and used to fund next year’s winners of the John Maitland Agriculture Awareness Grant. Through these generous donations, support is given to teachers working hard to incorporate agriculture in their classrooms.
For our virtual “pass the hat” donors can opt to give online through the McLean County Extension Service Foundation or collections will be taken on-site at the event.
Donate Online Here
Please indicate “Maitland” in the “leave a comment” section of the form to apply your donation to this designated fund.
Thank You to our Sponsors!
