GRAND ISLAND, NEB., Aug. 22, 2014 – With a major presence in Nebraska, Cargill has become the title sponsor of a year-round education exhibit, “Raising Nebraska,” pledging $1 million dollars over five years.
“As an agriculture and food company, we really identified with one of Raising Nebraska’s goals of showing how Nebraska agriculture touches everyone,” said Robert Racek, the Omaha-based Western Region general manager of Cargill’s grain business. “The world’s food gets its start every day with agriculture and Nebraska is a major player in that global marketplace.”
The Raising Nebraska exhibit is located in the Nebraska building on the state fairgrounds and opened today at the Nebraska State Fair.
"We are thrilled that Cargill has agreed to partner with us on Raising Nebraska," said Dr. Charles Hibberd, dean of extension at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln. "Cargill's global leadership is a good match for the messages and experiences in Raising Nebraska as we showcase world-class agriculture, food production and farmers and ranchers in our state. We look forward to drawing upon Cargill's expertise and insight as Raising Nebraska continues to evolve and grow in the future."
Jarrod Gillig, general manager at Cargill’s beef plant in Schuyler, said Nebraska is one of the largest states for Cargill with more than 20 locations and 4,000 employees. “These businesses go from farm to fork including grain, animal feed, corn milling and meat processing. All of Cargill’s businesses were part of the pledge, which also included a match from the corporate offices in Minneapolis.
Raising Nebraska is a 25,000 square foot education exhibit that will serve as a year-round, interactive experience focused on where Nebraska agriculture is today—and, where it will be in the future. The exhibit shows how Nebraska farmers and ranchers are positioning themselves to meet the global demand for food, feed, fuel and fiber—while protecting natural resources and being environmentally responsible.
The exhibit is the result of a partnership between the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and the Nebraska State Fair. Key areas of focus for the exhibit include food security, water management, technology and innovation, animal agriculture, the new bioeconomy, crop production, environmental stewardship, the economic impact of agriculture in Nebraska and consumer-focused information about food production and food safety.
“We have many great employees from Nebraska,” said Matt Parsons, facility manager with Cargill’s corn milling plant in Blair. “Reminding people of the importance of Nebraska to food and agriculture is a way of ensuring we will continue to have Nebraskans at Cargill in the future.”
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