May 17, 2022

CHS Foundation awards grants supporting precision agriculture

The CHS Foundation, funded by charitable gifts from CHS Inc., has awarded six grants totaling $829,000 to support development, education and sustainable benefits of precision agriculture. The CHS Foundation supports agricultural and energy-related projects at colleges and universities across the CHS trade area through its annual competitive grant program. In 2021, that program focused on precision agriculture and cooperative education.

Colorado State University is the largest recipient of the 2022 grants, receiving more than $250,000 to develop a new precision irrigation curriculum for high school ag students and educators.

“The CHS Foundation recognizes the continuing strength and importance of precision agriculture and remains committed to supporting education that develops future ag leaders,” said Nanci Lilja, president of the CHS Foundation, in a news release. “The world depends on agriculture, and the industry has never been more important than it is today. We need innovation and technology advancements to drive agriculture forward and attract the best possible talent to our industry.”

The CHS Foundation has committed more than $3.1 million since 2018 to support new and expanding precision agriculture programs at colleges and universities around the U.S.

Projects funded as part of the $829,000 initiative are:

• $256,723 to Colorado State University to develop a new precision irrigation curriculum for high school students and educators
• $218,211 to Montana State University to create a precision ag model farm for interdisciplinary research and education
• $25,000 to Lake Area Technical College, Watertown, S.D., to further develop its precision ag simulation lab
• $246,422 to Oklahoma State University for hands-on learning in precision ag technologies and to develop skills in sensors and autonomous systems
• $67,875 Lake Region State College, Devils Lake, N.D., to purchase state-of-the-art hardware and software for precision ag research and development
• $15,000 Redlands Community College, El Reno, Okla., to support its agriculture technology program in development

The CHS Foundation, funded by charitable gifts from CHS Inc., is focused on developing new generations of agriculture leaders for life-long success. Together, with its partners, the foundation is igniting innovation and driving excellence in agriculture education, cultivating high-impact programs for rural youth and accelerating potential for careers in agriculture. Learn more at chsfoundation.org.