Date: 20 July 2011

Contact:
Nicole Reichert, 952-742-4204, Nicole _Reichert@cargill.com
Kelsey Stehlik, 952-742-0303, Kelsey_Stehlik@cargill.com

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – In recognition of its local environmental efforts in the community, Cargill has been honored with the 2011 Merit Award from the Soil and Water Conservation Society.

Representatives from the Cargill facility were presented with the 2011 Merit Award during the Soil and Water Conservation Society’s recent annual conference in Washington, D.C. The award is given in recognition of an outstanding activity, product or service by a corporation that promotes the conservation of soil, water and related natural resources.

“I am very pleased that Cargill is receiving this honor,” said Jim Gulliford, executive director of the Soil and Water Conservation Society. “Their environmental dedication is important in educating and engaging our community.”

Cargill received the award for the work it has done over the past year with Living Lands & Waters (LL&W), an environmental organization that protects, preserves and restores the natural environment of major rivers in the United States. In 2007, LL&W launched its million-tree giveaway program by collecting and planting acorns at a nursery created on Cargill’s Beardstown, Ill., pork-processing plant property.

As part of this program, nearly 100 Cedar Rapids employees planted 400 native trees in the Linn County area, including oak trees, which are commonly found along mid-west rivers and susceptible to flooding and disease. This is the third year employees from the location participated in the program to restore trees in the community.

“It is an honor to be recognized for the work Cargill has done to restore the habitat in Linn County,” said Steve Phillips, environmental, health and safety manager at Cargill’s corn milling facility in Cedar Rapids. “We understand how important it is to reduce the impact we all have on the environment, as our natural resources are vital to our communities and our business.”

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Editor’s Note: Photo available from award ceremony on July 19 upon request.

About Cargill

Cargill is an international producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial and industrial products and services. Founded in 1865, the privately held company employs 131,000 people in 66 countries. Cargill helps customers succeed through collaboration and innovation, and is committed to applying its global knowledge and experience to help meet economic, environmental and social challenges wherever it does business. For more information, visit www.cargill.com. 

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