Giving Back

Building strong communities, creating enduring livelihoods and being effective stewards of our natural resources—these commitments are as important to us as top-quality products and services. We work together with the communities we serve and our partner organizations to grow more food with less, foster new ideas and talent, and preserve our communities and the planet for future generations because we believe that we are only as successful as the communities we serve.

One extremely strong partnership in this endeavor is Land O’ Lakes. Through the Member Co-op Match with Land O’ Lakes, we are able to make significant contributions to various organizations in the communities where our members and employees live and work. Together, we are fighting hunger, supporting education and strengthening communities.

The following is a list of a few of the charitable activities we participated in this year:

• County 4-H Fair Auctions: We strongly believe in the positive impact of the 4-H program and look forward to supporting 4-H members each summer by participating in the county 4-H livestock auctions. In 2017, Premier Ag made contributions at the following county fair auctions: Bartholomew, Decatur, Harrison, Jackson, Jennings, Johnson, Ripley, Rush, Scott, Shelby, Washington, Clark, Orange and Jefferson.
• Building with Habitat for Humanity at the State Fair – On August 9, Premier employees Matt Bense, Jay Hofmann, Drew Allen, and Shelley Hammond volunteered to help build two Habitat for Humanity homes at the Indiana State Fair. Greater Indy Habitat for Humanity has hosted a building project for eight consecutive years at the Indiana State Fair. Each year, a team of volunteers, representing Indiana’s agriculture community, builds homes from floor to roof in just 17 days. Construction on the two Habitat homes began this year on Friday, August 4, 2017—opening day of the fair—and more than 800 volunteers participated.
• Donation to Anchor House – For numerous years, Premier has made a donation to Anchor House temporary assisted family living center in Jackson County through the Land O’ Lakes Feed the Community matching grant program. Families who are accepted to Anchor House can stay for several weeks at the center while they obtain a job and find permanent housing. The center also helps families apply for government and various other assistance programs. It also manages a community food pantry and provides thousands of meals each year to members of the Jackson County community.
• Fueling Freedom – Premier Companies participated in CountryMark’s ninth annual Fueling Freedom event on June 23. The event raised more than $50,000 to support local National Guard Family Readiness Groups. CountryMark and local branded dealers donate a dollar for every gallon of lubricants sold and 50 cents for every gallon of fuel pumped to the local National Guard Family Readiness Groups closest to the participating fueling station. Family Readiness Groups help build National Guard unit morale, build unit retention and increase participation levels in family-related unit activities.