Eligible Agriculture Education programs seeking grant support for land lab facilities within Rockingham Cooperative’s service area are encouraged to apply by July 18, 2025.
Ed McCann - Appomattox County High School Ag Educator/FFA Advisor
“Funding from this grant will enable us to finish a complete renovation of our breeding swine facility. We will be adding working/handling areas and establishing permanent fencing and housing…. students will be able to raise, breed, and market countless litters of market pigs. This will provide our community with access to wholesome and locally grown pork. I would like to thank the staff at Rockingham Cooperative for making this grant available to agricultural education programs. Their generosity is going to have a significant and long-term impact on our program and its students.”
Shirley Kaufman-Gordon - Buffalo Gap High School Ag Educator/FFA Advisor
“This project will enhance our learning lab by expanding the pasture for our sheep and allow us to use rotational grazing. Furthermore, the electric waterers will supply the animals with clean fresh water thus reducing disease. The project will teach the students how to manage grass lots through rotational grazing.”
MISSION
Through the Agriculture Production Education Grant program, Rockingham Cooperative continues to invest in the agriculture education programs in our service area, providing exceptional hands-on learning opportunities for youth to learn best-practices and gain valuable experience on industry leading production agriculture standards.
ELIGIBILITY
Eligible agriculture education programs are those that offer production agriculture courses for middle/high school students in localities that are within a 100-mile radius of a Rockingham Cooperative retail or service location. Priority will be given to those programs that offer hands-on production courses at a school operated land lab. Funding must be used to capital improvement projects that will have a long lasting impact on the programs ability to attract and educate students.
GRANT CYCLE/TIMELINE
Applications for grant funding should be open once per year, allowing agriculture education programs, and their respective agriculture education instructors, to apply each spring for available funding to be awarded in fall of the same year. Grants will be awarded for up to $2,500.
JUNE 6, 2025 - Grant Applications open for Agriculture Education Programs to apply.
JULY 18, 2025 - Grant Application Deadline. Applications can be submitted online (below), or via email to customerservice@rockinghamcoop.com
AUGUST 19, 2025 - Program that are awarded grants will be notified
SEPTEMBER 2025 - Grant winners will be publicly announced with full press release on impacts and local use of funds
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