As a part of their annual alumni awards ceremony, the Oley Valley School District held a check presentation to receive their $10,000 grant from Monsanto Fund.
The check comes to district for being named a winner in this year’s America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education program.
Jeff Philips of Monsanto, introduced by Oley’s Agriculture Science Teacher and FFA Advisor Jeremy Deysher, presented the check to the district on Friday, Oct. 18.
‘Farming is getting more and more technical,’ Phillips said, stating that math and science are becoming increasingly important in agriculture. ‘There’s a lot of ways to go with education, and it all counts.’
According to Deysher, the money from the grant is going towards an aquaponics system to grow certain foods such as lettuce, cucumbers, and tomatoes, and to raise fish. The vegetables grown will be donated to the Oley Valley Food Pantry. Deysher also teased having a fish fry at the end of the year with the fish raised.
According to a recent release in regards to the Montsanto Fund, 181 rural school districts were chosen to receive grants of up to $25,000 through America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education this year. Oley is one of four schools is Pennsylvania to receive a grant this year.
The America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education is sponsored by the Monsanto Fund and seeks to offer farmers the chance to nominate a local public school district.