WINNIPEG, MANITOBA--(Marketwired - Nov 8, 2016) - What makes life in a rural community better? How about quality healthcare, recreation facilities, emergency services, child care for working families and organizations that help people shine. Thanks to Canadian farmers, 66 charities and non-profits that make life better in small towns across the country will receive $2,500 grants from the Monsanto Fund as part of the 2016 Canada's Farmers Grow Communities program.

Each non-profit was nominated by a local farmer who applied on behalf of their favourite cause.

The Canada's Farmers Grow Communities program received more than 500 entries this year. Winners were drawn by board members of the independent administrator, Agriculture in the Classroom - Manitoba, on October 6, 2016.

"You hear $2,500 and you might think that's just a drop in the ocean," said Kelly Funke, public affairs manager at Monsanto Canada. "What I've learned from speaking with farmers and charities across Canada is that this can be a huge amount for some, or even just enough to push a fundraising project to meet its goal. And all because a farmer believed in the cause enough to take action."

Now in its fifth full year, the Canada's Farmers Grow Communities program generated a wide variety of ideas from farmers on how local groups in their communities could benefit from the grants. A large number of rural-based charitable groups also contributed ideas online at www.CanadasFarmers.ca, which allowed them to suggest a cause and find local farmers to support it by submitting an entry.

Farmers living and working in the Maritimes, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and Northeastern B.C. had from mid-January to the end of September to submit their entries by visiting the Canada's Farmers website and completing an online application form. Farmer Alice Shenderevich of Roblin, MB applied on behalf of the Roblin and District Health Auxiliary, which will be putting its $2,500 toward purchasing a new blood pressure machine, a device in high demand in their rural hospital.

The Monsanto Fund plans to continue the Canada's Farmers Grow Communities program in 2017. Farmers and rural residents can watch for details at winter trade shows and also visit www.CanadasFarmers.ca in January 2017 for more information.

About The Monsanto Fund

The Monsanto Fund, the philanthropic arm of the Monsanto Company, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to strengthening the communities where farmers and Monsanto Company employees live and
work. Learn more at www.monsantofund.org.

About Monsanto Canada

Headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Monsanto Canada Inc. is part of the larger global Monsanto Company. Monsanto is an agricultural company committed to bringing a broad range of solutions to help nourish our growing world. We produce a variety of seeds ranging from fruits and vegetables to key crops - such as corn, soybeans, canola and cotton - that help farmers produce abundant and nutritious food. We work to find sustainable agriculture solutions that help farmers conserve natural resources, use data to improve farming practices, use water and other important resources more efficiently, and protect their crops from pests and disease. Through programs and partnerships, we collaborate with farmers, researchers, nonprofit organizations, universities and others to help tackle some of the world's biggest challenges.

To learn more about Monsanto, please visit: www.monsanto.ca or follow us on Twitter @MonsantoCda.

Note: A complete listing of all 66 winning entrants, their farmer nominator and their community, is detailed in the following attachment to this news release: http://cnrp.marketwire.com/cnrp_files/20161108-1075657Attach.pdf