The United Way of Decatur and Mid-Illinois and Monsanto will be teaming up for a good cause next week at the Farm Progress Show.

Monsanto is donating $1 per every pound of food collected by the United Way at this year's Farm Progress Show. United Way volunteers will be at each gate for the three days of the event collecting any monetary donations but mostly focusing on canned food donations for the various entities supported by United Way. Chad Clevenger is the Director of Community Impact with the United, he says each pantry currently serves around one-thousand individuals a month.

[audio:unitedwayfps1.mp3]A Word From Clevenger[/audio]

The Farm Progress Show is adding some perks to those who bring items to donate throughout the week. Each day of the event, the first 500 people who donate food will receive a $5 food voucher to be used at the different vendors on the site.

[audio:unitedwayfps2.mp3]A Word From Clevenger[/audio]

FFA students who attend the show and bring a food donation will receive free admission to the event. Clevengers says this is a great opportunity for those students and to save some money.

[audio:unitedwayfps3.mp3]A Word From Clevenger[/audio]

The United Way of Mid-Illinois will also be collecting food outside of Cubs Food Monday. This will mark the 3rd year Monsanto has sponsored the food drive at the Farm Progress Show, both in Decatur and Iowa. In 2009, the last time the Farm Progress Show was in Decatur, The drive raised the equivalent of nearly 43-thousands pounds of food.