CHS Inc.’s energy brand, Cenex, announced that the Norborne Soybean Festival in Norborne, Missouri, is the Hometown Throwdown $100,000 grand prize winner. The other two finalists, Hayward Musky Festival in Hayward, Wisconsin, and the Roseau Fall Harvest Festival in Roseau, Minnesota, will each receive $25,000. The prizes will enhance these unique celebrations.
Norborne, known as the “Soybean Capital of the World,” has been celebrating its agricultural roots since 1982. Held each August, the Norborne Soybean Festival is a testament to the hard-working, generous, humble people of Norborne. The 100% volunteer-run festival features entertainment for all ages, including a soy coin hunt, soy donuts, ag in the classroom, and the naming of a new King or Queen Soybean. With its long history rooted in tradition, local pride, community engagement, and family fun, it is no surprise that Norborne’s Soybean Festival is highly regarded.
Hometown Throwdown, a social media contest launched by Cenex last fall, encouraged local pride by asking individuals and organizations to share what makes their hometown festival unique. Over 500 festival submissions were received during the entry period from October 3 through December 15, 2023.
“We couldn’t be more pleased with the response we received for Hometown Throwdown. We love seeing the pride people have for their local communities, and it’s clear there’s no shortage of that in Norborne, Missouri,” said Erin Wroge, senior director of energy marketing at CHS Inc. “A big congratulations from all of us at Cenex to the Norborne Soybean Festival. We were truly impressed with all three festivals in the running for the grand prize, and we’re looking forward to fostering community pride across the Cenex footprint for years to come.”
Hometown Throwdown is inspired by the Cenex brand’s strong local roots and is a continuation of its long history of giving back to the communities it calls home. The brand is local to its core, with all 1,400-plus retail locations across 19 states run by community members. To date, Cenex has given more than half a million dollars in grants to support local communities. These efforts have funded more than 80 community projects, including improving aging baseball fields, providing athletic workshops in schools, supporting local food shelters, and boosting community pride by funding local festivals.
Norborne Soybean Festival was selected as the $100,000 grand prize winner in accordance with the contest rules. Additional information about Hometown Throwdown can be found at this link.
