Delford M. and Portia K. Richter Agriculture Scholarship established to encourage young farmers

Gift of farmland creates endowment to support education and training of future farmers in Pike and Calhoun Counties

The Community Foundation Serving West Central Illinois & Northeast Missouri has announced a new scholarship fund that will provide financial support to Pike and Calhoun County, Illinois students who are pursuing education and training in agriculture.

The Delford M. and Portia K. Richter Scholarship Fund seeks to encourage young people in Pike and Calhoun Counties to pursue agricultural careers and contribute their knowledge and skills back to their communities.

The endowed fund, which was established through a gift of farmland from the Richters, will award its first scholarships in the spring of 2025. Up to twelve scholarships of $4,000 each will be awarded. Because the fund is endowed, it will continue to grow and award scholarships in perpetuity.

“Agriculture is the heart of our region, and encouraging the next generation of farmers is important. This gift represents the Richters’ values of hard work, dedication to the community, and commitment to the land,” said Catherine Bocke Meckes, Community Foundation CEO. “By donating their farm to establish a scholarship fund, their agricultural legacy will live on through the countless students that benefit from their forward-thinking generosity. We are honored to help the Richters achieve their philanthropic goal, which will benefit our region for generations.”

Eligible recipients are students graduating from high schools in Pike or Calhoun Counties in Illinois who are pursuing education or training in agriculture at an accredited postsecondary educational or nonprofit technical institution located in Illinois, Missouri, or Iowa. Preference will be given to students who are studying or training in production agriculture.

Information about and applications for the Delford M. and Portia K. Richter Scholarship, and 17 additional Community Foundation scholarships, are available online at www.mycommunityfoundation.org/scholarships. For more information about Community Foundation scholarships, call 217-222-1237 or email scholarships@mycommunityfoundation.org.

The Community Foundation’s Farmland for Good program allows landowners to contribute farmland to support their community for generations. Donors work with the Community Foundation to plan what cause their gift will support, then make an outright gift of land or plan a bequest to the Community Foundation. If desired, the Community Foundation can retain the land and keep it in production. Proceeds or income from the farm is then used to support the charitable wishes of the donor. For more information about the Farmland for Good program, call 217-222-1237 or email cmeckes@mycommunityfoundation.org.