Lallemand Plant Care Selected Hometown Roots Winners

Two agricultural advocates earned $5,000 community grants through this long-running industry photo and storytelling contest.

Updated on Sept. 30, 2026 in Philanthropy

Screen-print poster illustration of a wooden crate filled with seeds and grain stalks, representing rural community support and agricultural tradition. — Lallemand Plant Care awarded $5,000 community grants to Kari DeMoss and Stephanie Fossum for their agricultural advocacy in their local rural communities. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Lallemand Plant Care named Kari DeMoss of Iowa and Stephanie Fossum of South Dakota as the winners of its 2026 Hometown Roots Contest. Each recipient directed a $5,000 donation to a local community organization of her choosing.

Why it matters

The program incentivizes community engagement by rewarding individuals who document and share the contributions of local agriculture. This model provides a structured path for businesses to build brand equity within rural markets through targeted charitable support.

Each winner received a $5,000 grant, continuing a program that has operated since the contest launched in 2021. The 2026 cycle involved entries submitted over a seven-month period.

The players

Lallemand Plant Care

A global producer of microbial products and biological solutions for agriculture and crop management.

Kari DeMoss

An Iowa-based agricultural advocate and winner of the 2026 contest.

Stephanie Fossum

A South Dakota-based agricultural advocate and winner of the 2026 contest.

The details

Participants in the contest demonstrated the value of agriculture by submitting original photographs and personal narratives. Winners Kari DeMoss and Stephanie Fossum utilized their grants to support the Newell Library Friends and the State 4-H Leaders of South Dakota, respectively. The process functions as a grassroots outreach mechanism, allowing the sponsor to maintain visibility in rural regions while offloading local community impact to individual ambassadors.

The contest program launched in 2021.
The 2026 contest opened for entries in January 2026.
The contest closed for entries in July 2026.
Winners were announced on September 30, 2026.

Market Landscape

The Hometown Roots Contest follows a pattern established by the 2021 launch of the Lallemand Plant Care Hometown Roots Contest to cultivate brand loyalty in rural markets. This program aligns with industry trends where specialized suppliers leverage community philanthropy to deepen regional ties.

Businesses operating in rural sectors can use this model to drive engagement by delegating donation decisions to community members. Operators should consider whether such storytelling contests could effectively capture and amplify their local brand footprint in future cycles.

The takeaway

Corporate philanthropy programs that utilize user-generated content can build significant goodwill while documenting regional agricultural contributions. Operators looking to replicate this strategy should track the conversion of social engagement into local brand recognition.