With a goal to support future farmers and share their dedication to community, Delford and Portia Richter gifted a 234 acre farm to the Community Foundation in December of 2024 to establish an endowed scholarship fund. The Delford M. and Portia K. Richter Agriculture Scholarship Fund ensures that students pursuing careers in agriculture have financial support to pursue their goals — and hopefully contribute their skills back to the community — for generations to come.

Starting in the spring of 2025, this fund will plant seeds of opportunity for the future of farming, awarding scholarships to graduating high school seniors from Pike and Calhoun Counties in Illinois. These students will have the chance to grow their skills at accredited institutions in Illinois, Missouri, or Iowa. Preference will be given to students focusing on production agriculture — the lifeblood of rural communities. This scholarship honors those ready to carry forward the traditions, innovations, and hard work that keep our fields thriving and our communities strong.

Farming wasn’t just work for Delford, it was a sunrise-to-sunset pursuit and passion. Now, the Richters’ values and legacy takes root in the next generation, cultivating dreams and sowing success through students in Pike and Calhoun Counties.

Applications for the Delford M. and Portia K. Richter Agriculture Scholarship, along with additional Community Foundation scholarships, are available at www.mycommunityfoundation.org/scholarships.