Monsanto named 4-H Bridge Builder

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Monsanto Co. was honored with the Missouri 4-H Foundation Nelson Trickey 4-H Bridge Builder Award Sept. 11 in Columbia. Monsanto Co. has been a dedicated Missouri 4-H partner for more than 30 years.

“At Monsanto, we recognize that making a balanced meal accessible to everyone, and doing it in a sustainable way, requires a wide range of ideas and resources,” said Mark Goth, Channel brand analyst for Monsanto and a Missouri 4-H Foundation trustee. “That’s why we’re dedicated to supporting the next generation of ag leaders and have proudly partnered with the Missouri 4-H Foundation for over 30 years. We are honored to collaborate with this respected organization and to receive this prestigious award.”

The Nelson Trickey 4-H Bridge Builder Award is presented to individuals or organizations for their exceptional service bridging youth and the community.

Monsanto’s support for the University of Missouri Extension 4-H Center for Youth Development began in the early 1980s through the St. Louis 4-H Teen Conference, a program that provided career-exploration opportunities to St. Louis area 4-H members. Since that time, the company’s support for Missouri 4-H has grown to include the Youth Civic Leaders Summit, Mizzou 4-H, the State 4-H Council, the state 4-H dairy judging program, and the Missouri Citizens in Action workshop. Each focuses on developing important leadership and life skills while engaging in citizenship and service-learning activities.

Monsanto also provides sponsorship support for the Clover Classic Golf Tournament, an annual event that draws 4-H friends from all over the state to raise funds for Missouri 4-H.

At the national level, Monsanto’s support for 4-H has taken many forms over the years, including funding for 4-H Volunteer Training Forums and Salute to Excellence awards, and promotion of 4-H volunteer recruitment initiatives. Since 2010, more than $2.3 million has been directed to individual 4-H clubs across the country through America’s Farmers Grow Communities, which provides farmers with an opportunity to support a nonprofit organization in their local community. Through this program, Missouri farmers have directed $137,500 to Missouri 4-H clubs.

“Monsanto’s commitment to improving the lives of young people, farming families and their communities is evident in the work that they do,” said Cheryl Reams, Missouri 4-H Foundation executive director. “We are very grateful for the generous support Monsanto provides to Missouri 4-H youths.”

For more than 65 years, the Missouri 4-H Foundation has been managing funds for the MU Extension 4-H Center for Youth Development, providing higher-education scholarships and recognizing 4-H volunteers. MU Extension 4-H is a community of more than 260,000 youths from across Missouri learning leadership, citizenship and life skills.