Isaac Rides: Illinois Ag in the Classroom 2008

Here's a quick update on the 13th annual Illinois Ag in the Classroom (“IAITC”) Bike Ride event which took place about 2 weeks ago. The Bike Ride spans 3 days and brings ag-minded folks together to teach elementary school children about agriculture. On Tuesday, September 2, for example, 3 groups of riders reached out to 15 different schools, in areas like Canton, Peoria, Lincoln, Pekin, and Washington.

The Monsanto Fund has contributed $50k / year for the past three years towards the National Ag in the Classroom Consortium to train teachers and provide materials to advance Ag education. In addition to Monsanto's financial commitment to this good cause, the company has sent participants to join in the outreach to schools for the past 4 years – this active participation really sets Monsanto apart from other sponsors, as there were NO RIDERS from Pioneer, Syngenta, Bayer, or Dow.

Three other Monsanto employees joined me on Tuesday. I chose the 93 mile route and convinced my friend and Monsanto Maverick captain Marsha Stanton to also do the long route. Here are some pictures of her along the way...

20 miles and all SMILES
33 and hangin' in with me

I was pleased to have the opportunity to speak with a lot of folks about Monsanto’s commitment to agriculture, our drive towards innovation that provides value to farmers and, of course, Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans. As we rode our bicycles past fields of soybeans and corn, at rest stops and during meals, we learned about key issues on the minds of people involved in the ag industry as we built relationships.