Cargill to Award 350 Scholarships for Class of 2011

Cargill will award $350,000 in scholarships to high-school seniors who live in communities where Cargill has operations and plan to enroll in post-secondary education next fall.

The national program will award 350 scholarships of $1,000. In addition, each recipient's high school will receive a $200 grant. National FFA will process the applications and select the scholarship recipients, although students do not need to be FFA members to be eligible for Cargill's program. Students are chosen based on academic achievement and leadership in extracurricular and community activities.

"We are pleased to join FFA in recognizing outstanding students and supporting their educational goals," said Mark Murphy, assistant vice president of corporate affairs for Cargill. "We recognize that our continued success depends on the growth and health of our communities and partners, including our local schools and young people."

"FFA prepares young people to lead, grow and achieve future success in more than 300 diverse careers through agricultural education," said Dr. Larry D. Case, chief executive officer of the National FFA Organization. "FFA scholarships are paving the way for future industry leaders to get the education they deserve."

Scholarship guidelines and the application are available at www.cargill.com, keyword scholarship, and www.ffa.org. The application requires the signature of a local Cargill employee. Applications are due at 5 p.m. EST on Feb. 15, 2011. Scholarships will be awarded in May 2011.

Cargill is an international producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial and industrial products and services. Founded in 1865, the privately held company employs 131,000 people in 66 countries. Cargill helps customers succeed through collaboration and innovation, and is committed to applying its global knowledge and experience to help meet economic, environmental and social challenges wherever it does business. For more information, visit www.cargill.com.

The National FFA Organization, formerly known as Future Farmers of America, is a national youth organization of 523,309 student members-all preparing for leadership and careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture-as part of 7,487 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The National FFA Organization changed to its present name in 1988 in recognition of the growth and diversity of agriculture and agricultural education. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.

The National FFA Organization operates under a Federal Charter granted by the 81st United States Congress, and it is an integral part of public instruction in agriculture. The U.S. Department of Education provides leadership and helps set direction for FFA as a service to state and local agricultural education programs. Visit www.ffa.org for more information.