The McLean County Farm Bureau (MCFB) Foundation is pleased to announce the 2026 scholarship recipients. A total of $16,000 has been awarded to eleven outstanding students pursuing careers in agriculture-focused fields.

Four students were selected to receive the $2,000 MCFB Agricultural Leadership Scholarship, which honors excellence in leadership, community involvement, and commitment to agriculture:

• Timothy Tofte, Downs – A 2026 graduate of Prō Vēritāte Homeschool Academy. Tofte plans to study Mechanical Engineering at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.
• Noah Walsh, Danvers – A 2026 graduate of Olympia High School. Walsh plans to study Pre-Law in Agriculture at Iowa State University.
• Rylee Robb, McLean – A sophomore at Land Land College studying Agricultural Business and graduate of Olympia High School. Robb plans to transfer to Western Illinois University.
• Preston Wiltz, Lexington – A freshman at Iowa State University majoring in Agricultural Business. Wiltz is a graduate of Lexington High School.

The $1,000 Technical & Trades Scholarship was awarded to Shane Demling, McLean. Demling plans to attend WyoTech and study Diesel Technology.

Thanks to the generosity of local sponsors, the Foundation is also able to award the following named scholarships:

• $1000 COUNTRY Financial Scholarship: Talia Pierard, Bloomington- Equine Science, Black Hawk College
• $1,000 Sun Ag Scholarship: Elizabeth Ellis, Chenoa – Animal Science, Black Hawk College
• $500 Bloomington Meats Scholarship: Rylee Robb, McLean – Agricultural Business, Lake Land College
• $500 Evergreen FS Scholarship: Chase Rager, Danvers – Agricultural Business, Black Hawk College
• $500 One Earth Energy Scholarship: Preston Wiltz, Lexington – Agribusiness, Iowa State University
• $500 NextEra Energy Resources Scholarship: Peter Metivier, Bloomington – Agriculture Economics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

In addition, $500 MCFB Foundation Scholarships have been awarded to:

• Abby Clapp, LeRoy – Agricultural Communications, Oklahoma State University
• Elizabeth Ellis, Chenoa – Animal Science, Black Hawk College
• Peter Metivier, Bloomington – Agriculture Economics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• Talia Pierard, Bloomington- Equine Science, Black Hawk College
• Chase Rager, Danvers – Agricultural Business, Black Hawk College
• Kaden Semlow, Bloomington – Mechanical Engineering, Cedarville University

“Agriculture is of vital importance to McLean County. Our goal for the scholarship program is to support students who want to be part of agriculture’s future and develop their career in the industry,” said Mark Hines, President of the McLean County Farm Bureau Foundation.

The McLean County Farm Bureau Foundation is funded by voluntary contributions from Farm Bureau members and community supporters. The Foundation remains committed to supporting the next generation of agricultural professionals through education and leadership development. To learn more about the McLean County Farm Bureau Foundation scholarships, visit www.mcfb.org/foundation.