DuPont Pioneer is awarding grants to Iowa communities for the purchase of grain bin rescue equipment. Among the fire departments receiving grants this year to purchase grain bin rescue equipment for use in their communities, is Audubon, Avoca, and Exira. The grants are being made available through the Pioneer community betterment program, and additional grants are still available. The 2014 donations are in addition to more than $70,000 worth of safety and rescue equipment grants donated in Iowa in 2013.

Photo: Tim Wahlert, Exira fire department; Mike Bintner, Exira fire chief; Jerry Riesgaard, Pioneer sales rep; Mike Davis, Exira fire department. (Photo provided)

Bart Baudler, business director for DuPont Pioneer in Iowa, said “Safety is one of the DuPont Core Values, and we’re pleased to continue our work with local fire departments across Iowa to provide this important, and sometimes life-saving, equipment.Grain bins pose a significant safety risk on the farm. We hope this equipment provides a functional use and increases awareness of these risks and leads people to think before entering.”

Iowa community fire departments and emergency medical teams are eligible to apply for the grants through their local Pioneer sales representatives. In 2013, grants for the purchase of grain bin rescue equipment were also awarded (locally) to Hamburg, Harlan, Lewis, and Malvern.

As the philanthropic arm of DuPont Pioneer, the DuPont Pioneer Giving Program makes contributions to community-based organizations on behalf of the business and employees. Consideration for Community Outreach grants is given to communities where Pioneer representatives, employees and customers live and work and that support quality-of-life initiatives to create an improved, sustainable lifestyle for people worldwide.

DuPont Pioneer is the world’s leading developer and supplier of advanced plant genetics, providing high-quality seeds to farmers in more than 90 countries.