Three Farm Credit organizations are continuing their support for western North Dakota communities impacted by oil and mineral exploration and production.
Today the groups announced $300,000 in grants for projects under the Rural Community Grant Fund. The latest awards focus primarily on rural fire departments and support for area first responders.
This includes funds for new fire trucks for rural fire departments in Crosby and Mohall and a tanker upgrade in Burlington – helping to replace three aging vehicles. It also includes new protective gear for rural firefighters in Douglas, Grenora, Hebron and Souris. Stanley and Zap firefighters will receive new thermal imagers to help in emergency situations.
“As a volunteer firefighter for more than 20 years, I appreciate just how dangerous these jobs can be,” said Doug Felton, chairman of AgriBank’s board of directors. “These firefighters are providing their communities with critical services that are more in demand with the growing population.”
The Burlington Rural Fire Department is using the funds to purchase a newer tanker truck to carry water to the site of a fire – an important job in areas where there are no fire hydrants. “Before Farm Credit stepped in, we were driving a tanker from 1979,” said Darren Kabanuk, the department’s treasurer. With this grant, we will be able to purchase a newer vehicle that carries twice as much water, based on a quicker turnaround time, helping us to do a better job during fire emergencies. The newer trucks are also safer to drive.”
In addition, the Farm Credit organizations are supporting the purchase of a new ambulance for the Community Ambulance Service in Beach to help serve Golden Valley, Billings and McKenzie counties. They are also providing support for the Kids Academy in Berthold to provide much needed child-care options for area families.
AgriBank, Farm Credit Services of Mandan and Farm Credit Services of North Dakota announced the awards under the Rural Community Grant Fund, which has awarded more than $1.4 million in the past two years. The organizations started the fund to support a variety of infrastructure and development projects that benefit communities in western North Dakota, including affordable housing, medical and fire emergency services, medical facilities and services, and education.
A new slide show of previous award recipients is now available online at
http://info.agribank.com/communityinvolvement/rcgf/Pages/Slideshow.aspx
The full list of recipients is as follows:
Burlington Rural Fire Department: $40,000 to help replace a tanker truck
Community Ambulance Service: $20,000 to support the purchase of a new ambulance in Beach
Crosby Volunteer Fire Department: $40,000 for a fire truck
Douglas Fire Department: $15,240 for turnout gear
Grenora Rural Fire Protection District: $24,000 for turnout gear
Hebron Fire Protection District: $28,400 for turnout gear and a breathing apparatus
Kids Academy: $40,000 for a child-care facility in Berthold
Mohall Rural Fire Protection District: $40,000 for a pumper truck
Souris Rural Fire Department: $27,000 for breathing apparatuses
Stanley Rural Fire Department: $13,596 for a thermal imager
Zap Rural Fire Protection District: $12,000.00 for a thermal imager
The Rural Community Grant Fund is accepting applications for future funding to facilitate infrastructure improvement and development initiatives in western NorthDakota. Applications are reviewed three times a year. Interested parties should apply before August 31, 2014 and can apply at http://www.AgriBank.com for the next application period. Grants are awarded in, but not limited to, the following areas:
Multiple-family housing
Health, safety and environmental projects or programs
Medical facilities and services
Medical and fire emergency services
Environmental and conservation efforts
Programs aimed at development of young leaders in agriculture, economic development or local leadership
Educational programs for kindergarten through grade 12
Recreational facilities
Arts, museums and historical projects
About AgriBank
AgriBank is one of the largest banks within the national Farm Credit System, with more than $85 billion in total assets. Under the Farm Credit System’s cooperative structure, AgriBank is owned by 17 affiliated Farm Credit Associations. The AgriBank District
Our mission is to provide products and services that exceed customer expectations America’s Midwest, a 15-state area from Wyoming to Ohio and Minnesota to Arkansas. More than half of the nation’s cropland is located within the AgriBank District,providing the Bank and its Association owners with exceptional expertise in production agriculture. For more information, visit http://www.AgriBank.com.
About Farm Credit Services of North Dakota
Farm Credit Services of North Dakota is a member-owned agricultural credit association providing loans to farmers and ranchers for real estate, machinery, livestock and operating needs. FCS of ND also offers life and disability and crop insurances to the rural community. FCS of ND serves 17 counties in northwest North Dakota through eight branch offices located in Minot, Bottineau, Carrington, Rugby, and Williston, including Bowbells Crop Insurance (Bowbells), Schaan Crop Insurance (Rugby) and Ward County Crop Insurance (Minot). For more information, visit http://www.FarmCreditND.com.
About Farm Credit Services of Mandan
In addition to operating and real estate loans, Farm Credit Services of Mandan offers agribusiness financing, livestock and equipment loans, leasing services, tax, accounting and payroll services, crop, forage and livestock insurance, life and disability insurance, stock financing for energy, feed, or food processing and a cash patronage program.
Farm Credit Services of Mandan is a member-owned agricultural financing cooperative that serves a twenty-county area in southwest North Dakota, with full-time offices in Beulah, Bowman, Carson, Dickinson, Mandan, Mott, Washburn, and Wishek. For more information, visit http://www.FarmCreditMandan.com.
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