Beaufort County Farm Bureau was awarded a $2,000 donation from Monsanto on Wednesday morning at Circle Grove Farms in Belhaven. Monsanto is a company that provides solutions and products to improve agriculture productivity and food quality, according to a press release from the company.

The presentation was part of the Blackland Farm Managers Tour, and Hyde County Farm Bureau was also awarded the same amount.

According to the press release, the donation was given as part of the Southern Land Legacy program, which was created last year to recognize farmers who make a positive impact on their community.

Sue Dillon, public relations director at Paradowski, an advertising agency that partners with Monsanto to run the legacy program, said farmers are recognized for properly taking care of the land and planting the correct amount of refuge seed with corn products. Farmers will plant refuge seeds to give insects a place to feed, which in turn prevents them from becoming resistant to pesticide chemicals, said James Marsh, district sales manager at Monsanto.

He said it’s a hard decision for farmers to make because of the financial impact of letting the insects feed and most likely lessen the quality of the corn. However, this type of stewardship of the land will help ensure the crop’s continued health and production value in the coming years, Dillon said.

The presentation in Belhaven is the largest of its kind in the state, and Marsh said there were more than 500 people attending.

Monsanto selected a group of farmers in the community and asked them to choose where they wanted the money to go — the final decision being the Farm Bureau, he said.

Dillon said the $2,000 will go toward Ag education efforts as well as educating the surrounding communities about the role farmers play in an area. The program donated a total of $14,000 to seven non-profit organizations.

Mike Godley, president of the Beaufort County Farm Bureau, said the money will be used for programs such as Healthy Living for a Lifetime and the Northeast Ag Expo as well as for scholarship money.

“As farmers, our land is our livelihood and our legacy for our children and grandchildren. We want to get the most out of it, but we are also very careful to protect it for future generations,” said Jay Sullivan, former president of the N.C. Corn Growers Association, in the press release.

“This is the first time that we have received it,” Godley said. “Certainly it’s a significant amount that will help.”