Toro Announces Winner of Ready. Set. GROW!” Grant Program”

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BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The Toro Company announced that Shannon Ranch Elementary School, in Visalia, Calif., won top prize in the company’s "Ready. Set. GROW!" grant program.

As a result of the public vote, a $7,000 grant will be awarded to Shannon Ranch Elementary. The grant will enable the school to enhance their life sciences program including installing a water-efficient drip irrigation system at their school garden for use by students throughout the year. The garden will also serve as a model on smart irrigation practices for the surrounding community.

Additional grants are being awarded to:

  • Project FINE – Colorful Growers (Winona, Minn.), which plans to use the second-place $4,000 grant to promote the use of water-saving technologies through education and demonstration, specifically focusing on youth ages 10 to 18.
  • Armed Services YMCA at Camp Pendleton (Camp Pendleton, Calif.), which plans to use the third-place $2,000 grant to support the Veterans Sustainable Agriculture Training program, training active-duty service members and veterans in sustainable agribusiness.
  • North Louisiana Agri-Business Council (West Monroe, La.), which will use the fourth-place $2,000 grant to create an educational display demonstrating the efficiencies of irrigation and best practices in water management.

Online nominations for the grants took place in September. At the conclusion of the nomination period, a panel of Toro representatives evaluated and selected four finalists who were asked to submit a brief video further detailing their organizations’ mission.

Videos can be viewed at www.youtube.com/toro under the "Company" playlist. The grant awards were determined by a public vote in November on Toro’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/toro.company.