Westchester Foundation Ag Scholarship Applications Due April 30th

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (March 28, 2008)-College students as well as high school seniors looking for help in funding college expenses need to complete an application for the Westchester Foundation scholarship by April 30, 2008. Scholarships are awarded to high school seniors accepted for enrollment or students already enrolled at an accredited college, university or community college in a course of study related to
agriculture or agribusiness.

The Westchester Foundation was established by Murray Wise, founder and CEO of the Westchester Group Inc., with a mission to enhance the future of American agriculture by helping to ensure a steady supply of bright, dedicated, well-educated leaders. Students are selected by the
Foundation's Board of Directors based on academic qualifications,
community and school involvement, leadership potential and financial
need.

"I've spent my entire life immersed in many areas of agriculture; it is
an industry I am passionate about," said Wise. "It has become
increasingly more important for young people involved in agribusiness as
well as production agriculture to obtain a college education in order to
excel in the industry. I'm grateful to have the resources available to
ease the financial burden of higher education for dedicated students who can make a difference in agriculture."

Provided the students maintain acceptable grade point averages, the
scholarship can be renewed annually for up to four years. While the
amount awarded for each scholarship varies by individual and economic
need, successful applicants may anticipate a minimum of $1,000 per year to fund any expenses related to attendance at the college of their
choice.

Many scholarship recipients have had positive experiences with the
Westchester Foundation and have been able to use their award for
otherwise unattainable opportunities. "One of the wonderful aspects of
the Westchester scholarship is that it not only helps with tuition and
textbook fees, but it can be used for any college expense," noted
Heather Busse, a scholarship recipient since 2006 who attends the
University of Illinois. "I had two opportunities to study abroad and was
able to use some of my scholarship money to learn about the agriculture
economies in the Baltic countries as well as study the soybean industry
in Brazil. I am thankful to the Westchester Foundation for the global
perspective I've gained from these experiences."

A past scholarship recipient, Robin Niehaus, is now on the Board for the
Westchester Foundation. "The Westchester team is phenomenal to work
with," said Niehaus. "They truly have a desire for young people
committed to agriculture to receive a valuable education. The Foundation goes far beyond just the financial help; they connect with the scholarship recipients on a personal level and have provided me with
tools and insight that have allowed me to have a successful career in
agribusiness."

Applications can be downloaded at http://www.westchester-group.com
<http://email.blueoxmailbox.com/c.html?rtr=on&s=cv8,yjao,2dxg,hivr,sy0,l
yuo,bcby> and must be completed and submitted no later than April 30,
2008 in order to be considered for scholarship funds for the fall
semester of the 2008 - 2009 school year.

About the Westchester Foundation

The Westchester Foundation was established in 1997 solely to provide
financial resources toward a college education for students with the
talent and drive to continue the extraordinary success of the nation's
agribusinesses.

About Westchester Group, Inc.

Westchester Group, Inc. is a leading agricultural asset management firm, providing a complete range of agricultural real estate and management services as well as auction services. The company specializes in portfolio management and acquisition of farmland for institutional and corporate clients and individual farmers, as well as individual investors. Westchester manages a diverse range of crops for their clients, including corn, soybeans, almonds, wine grapes, apples and citrus. For more information on Westchester Group, Inc., visit
www.westchester-group.com
<http://email.blueoxmailbox.com/c.html?rtr=on&s=cv8,yjao,2dxg,c01e,h508,
lyuo,bcby> and www.westchester-auctions.com
<http://email.blueoxmailbox.com/c.html?rtr=on&s=cv8,yjao,2dxg,cvtc,ea8i,
lyuo,bcby> .