BATAVIA, Ill. — AGCO Parts, a division of AGCO Corporation (NYSE:AGCO), a worldwide manufacturer and distributor of agricultural equipment, awarded five scholarships worth $6,500 at the 14th Annual Touch-A-Tractor event held by the Kane County Farm Bureau (KCFB).

The five scholarship recipients are all Illinois-resident students pursuing an agriculture-related field of study. “This is the second year we were able to fund five scholarships, including the largest scholarship, the AGCO Platinum scholarship worth $2500,” said Andrea Achermann, AGCO Global Women’s Network (AGWN) president, Batavia, Ill.

AGCO Parts employees raised the scholarship funds from monthly employee donations in exchange for the privilege of wearing jeans to work.

“There is an estimated gap of 22,500 college graduates each year for jobs in agriculture related career fields,” said Joe White, president, Kane County Farm Bureau Foundation. “Agriculture needs to attract the best and brightest to meet the global food challenge and to protect resources for future generations.”

The following students are this year’s scholarship recipients:

AGCO Parts Platinum Scholarship, $2,500

  • Erin Kettelkamp of Elburn, Ill. Kettlekamp currently attends the University of Illinois, majoring in Veterinary Medicine.

AGCO Parts Division Scholarship, $1,000 each

  • Ethan Hoffman of Malta, Ill. Hoffman will attend Kishwaukee College in the fall, studying Agriculture Business and Technology.
  • Andrew Gould of Elburn, Ill. Gould attends the University of Illinois, majoring in Technical Systems Management.

AGCO AGWN Scholarship, $1,000 each

  • Kristen Hoffman of Kingston, Ill. Hoffman currently attends Iowa State University, majoring in Agribusiness.
  • Catherine Bend of Earlville, Ill. Bend currently attends the University of Wisconsin, majoring in Agricultural Business.

Scholarship applicants were evaluated on academics, exceptional leadership involvement, professional goals, financial need, and references.

The AGCO Global Women’s Network (AGWN) group is dedicated to developing, promoting and advocating leadership of women as growers of profitability, collaboration and a diverse culture across AGCO. The twenty-plus members of AGWN Batavia have a proud history of giving back to their community, including volunteering at the local food bank, distributing clothing donations to those in need and raising money for youth agriculture education scholarships. AGWN is an integral part of AGCO’s overall diversity and inclusion program named TRAIT — which represents AGCO’s core values of Team Spirit, Respect, Accountability, Integrity and Transparency. Through the TRAIT program, AGCO works to make positive contributions to improve the lives of our neighbors and local communities.

The Kane County Farm Bureau is a voluntary-membership association serving the needs and interests of more than 15,000 local families. Membership is open to all who support a stable, profitable farm and food sector as a vital part of a strong and prosperous economy in a free society.

For more information about AGCO or to find a local dealer, visit www.agcocorp.com.

For more information about the Kane County Farm Bureau, visit http://www.kanecfb.com.