BASF partners with ASA, NCGA and NWF to provide agricultural industry scholarships

KISSIMMEE, FL, February 28, 2013 -- The BASF Crop Protection business will team with the American Soybean Association (ASA), the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and the National Wheat Foundation (NWF) to present 10 students with scholarships during the 2013 Commodity Classic in Kissimmee, Florida. The scholarships will be awarded to students across the country pursuing degrees in agriculture.

“BASF is committed to the future of agriculture and our students play a huge role in sustaining the livelihood of the industry,” said Paul Rea, Vice President, U.S. Crop Protection, BASF. “These students are passionate about agriculture, and we look forward to watching them grow into the leaders and advocates of our business.”

Recipients will receive their scholarships from Rea during the Commodity Classic media preview on Thursday, Feb. 28 from 10:45 to 11:15 a.m. at BASF booth #1331.

American Soybean Association Scholarship

The 2013-2014 ASA Secure Optimal Yield (SOY) Scholarship is a $5,000 award presented to an outstanding high school senior who has achieved high academic and leadership requirements, and is planning to pursue a degree in an agriculture-related field at an accredited college or university.

Mason Kiehl of Meadville, Missouri, was chosen as the 2013-2014 ASA SOY scholarship recipient. Kiehl, a senior at Meadville R-IV High School, will pursue a degree in agricultural systems management at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, beginning this fall.

The scholarship is offered and managed by the ASA and is made possible through a grant from BASF.

“This is the sixth year ASA is partnering with BASF to offer this opportunity to an outstanding student,” said ASA President Danny Murphy, a producer from Canton, Mississippi. “The agriculture industry has a bright future, thanks to dedicated young people like Kiehl.”

National Corn Growers Association Scholarships

For the sixth year in a row, BASF will team with NCGA to provide scholarships to undergraduate or graduate students pursuing an agricultural degree. This year, the scholarship has been renamed the William C. Berg Academic Excellence in Agriculture Scholarship Program, in memory of Ohio corn grower and NCGA colleague Bill Berg, a long-time member of the NCGA Grower Services Action Team and supporter of the scholarship program who passed away unexpectedly last year.

“Anyone who ever met Bill knew he had a passion for agriculture; this seemed like a fitting way to honor his memory and support the future of the industry he loved so much,” said Pam Johnson, President of NCGA.

The program will award scholarships of $1,000 each to the following students:

Emily Brundick of Argyle, Missouri – a first year graduate student at the University of Missouri, studying agriculture economics.
Kyle Parmley of Perry, Oklahoma – a junior at Oklahoma State University, studying plant and soil sciences.
Nicholas Peterson of Clearlake, Minnesota – a junior at the University of Minnesota, studying applied plant science.
Sterling Schnepf of Granville, Iowa – a junior at Iowa State University, studying animal science.
Brent Sexton of Rockwell City, Iowa – a junior at Iowa State University, studying animal science.

National Wheat Foundation Scholarships

This year BASF and the NWF established a new scholarship fund to honor longtime wheat industry friend and BASF employee Jerry Minore by supporting students pursuing careers in agriculture.

As a BASF Senior Market Manager, Minore was a liaison to the wheat industry, including the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) and the Foundation, and an advocate for wheat growers who passed away unexpectedly in February 2012.

To honor his advocacy for the wheat industry, BASF partnered with NAWG to fund $1,000 and $1,500 Jerry Minore Memorial Scholarships that will be awarded to four students each during the next three years.

“We are pleased to partner with BASF on something that was important to Jerry,” said NWF Chairman Jimmie Musick. “This scholarship is a great way to not only support youth who express interest in the wheat industry, but to continue Jerry’s legacy.”

Recipients of the NAWG scholarship include:

John Rosman of Creston, Washington – upcoming freshman at Oklahoma State University, studying agricultural communications.
Morgan Perez of Lind, Washington – a junior at Washington State University, studying agriculture technology and production management.
Joshua C. Duling of Mupin, Oregon – a junior at Eastern Oregon University, studying agriculture science.
Garrett Reiss of El Dorado, Kansas – a sophomore at Butler Community College, studying agronomy.

For more information about the industry initiatives BASF supports or the BASF Crop Protection portfolio of products, visit http://agproducts.basf.us/, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

About the Crop Protection division

With sales of € 4.1 billion in 2011, BASF’s Crop Protection division is a leader in crop protection and a strong partner to the farming industry providing well-established and innovative fungicides, insecticides and herbicides. Farmers use these products and services to improve crop yields and crop quality. Other uses include public health, structural/urban pest control, turf and ornamental plants, vegetation management, and forestry. BASF aims to turn knowledge rapidly into market success. The vision of BASF’s Crop Protection division is to be the world’s leading innovator, optimizing agricultural production, improving nutrition, and thus enhancing the quality of life for a growing world population. Further information can be found on the web at www.agro.basf.com or follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/basfagro.

BASF - The Chemical Company

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 16,900 employees in North America, and had sales of $18.7 billion in 2012. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.us.

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Through science and innovation, we enable our customers in nearly every industry to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring nutrition and improving quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF posted sales of €78.7 billion in 2012 and had more than 113,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

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