The Lyon County Corn and Soybean Growers Association donated funds to local fire departments, putting their checkoff dollars to good use.

The three fire departments received a monetary donation to purchase grain bin rescue equipment. Having this equipment easily accessible and trained volunteers allows rural communities to respond quicker to local aid calls.

“We felt this was an opportunity to partner with the local fire departments and invest in the health and safety of farmers in Lyon County,” Board Treasurer Chase VanKeulen said. “We hope to continue to donate to the other fire departments until they are all fully equipped to deal with a grain related emergency.”

The Ghent, Lynd and Balaton fire departments all received a monetary donation from the board to purchase the needed rescue equipment.

The Lyon County board members have long supported their local first responders. In summer 2021, the board, through checkoff investments, donated Goodyear soy-based tires to the Lyon County Sheriff’s Department. This year, the board is donating Skechers soy-based shoes to local health care workers. The board believes in giving back and continues to do so around their communities.

“We’re very grateful that they donated to us so we can provide better rescue equipment for the department,” Balaton Fire Chief Kasey Holm said. “We’re going to use the funding to purchase a new grain auger for grain extrication. It helps out these small departments, because we have very limited budgets, and we need people like them to keep donating for us to have stuff like this.”

Making this donation to local fire departments allows the rescue crew to have the up-to-date equipment necessary to provide the best service to the area.

The Lyon County Corn and Soybean Growers Association is affiliated with the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council, which oversees the investment of soybean checkoff dollars on behalf of the nearly 28,000 farmers in Minnesota. The Council is governed by the rules of a federally mandated checkoff program that requires all soybean producers pay a fee on the soybeans they sell. Checkoff dollars are used to promote, educate and develop market opportunities for soybeans.