The Hillsdale County Community Foundation has announced the winners of the first annual Edward Kunesh Young Farmer Grant.
Ethan Bognar, Cordell Price, and Kade Shiery will each get a share of $25,000 in funding to help grow their farms.
The grant is named after Edward L. Kunesh, a farmer from Litchfield.
It supports farmers aged 18 to 36 and is intended to assist with buying equipment and livestock or improving farmland.
This year’s winners each have their own plans. Ethan Bognar will put his share toward a new storage barn for hay and tools.
Cordell Price of Price Farms & Cattle, LLC, plans to purchase a bale processor.
Kade Shiery will put his share toward the purchase of a tractor.
The grant also funds agricultural education and training events in Hillsdale County, including the Nutrient Management Field Day, Agriculture Career Day, and the Farm Bureau Safety Day.
Community Foundation officials say they’re grateful to continue Mr. Kunesh’s legacy of supporting agriculture and young farmers in the area. The foundation also manages two other funds in his name: an agricultural scholarship for students pursuing careers in farming, and a youth education fund that supports 4-H and FFA activities.