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Contact: Heather Finney
Phone: (800) 395-2522
E-mail: Heather Finney

For Immediate Release

$50,000 COMMITMENT MADE TO PLANET’S EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION

HERNDON, Va., April 7, 2009 — The Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) is pleased to announce that JOHN DEERE has pledged an additional $25,000 to its initial $25,000 contribution to the PLANET Academic Excellence Foundation (PLANET AEF) scholarship fund. This places the company at the Platinum contribution level of $50,000. JOHN DEERE became a Founding Ambassador, one of the first 25 contributors to the Foundation, in 2002.

Over the course of its more than 170 year history, JOHN DEERE and its employees have continuously supported education activities at all levels. The JOHN DEERE Green Industry Scholarship is intended to help a financially-deserving student that is pursuing a degree related to the green industry. The student is selected based on the merits of his or her scholastic accomplishments and outstanding citizenship.

JOHN DEERE’s J. Gilbert Peña, who is PLANET AEF vice president, is passionate about the work of the Foundation. “The PLANET AEF is too critical to the future overall success of the green industry to let it become static,” says Peña. “The founding members of the Foundation laid out a great path that we should be following now. In these tough economic times, we must accelerate our efforts to raise the level of the Foundation in order to be of more help to more green industry students now when they need additional financial support.”

The PLANET AEF scholarship fund was formed to award scholarships and fund educational activities for the green industry. Promoting and advancing the lawn and landscape services industry by supporting academic excellence is the Foundation’s mission. To fulfill its mission, the PLANET AEF relies on tax-deductible donations and long-term pledges from individuals, corporations, organizations, and estates. The Foundation’s assets total more than $2 million.

For more information about the PLANET AEF scholarship fund, call (800) 395-2522 or visit LandcareNetwork.org.

PLANET is the association of members who create and maintain the QUALITY OF LIFE in communities across America. With more than 4,000 member companies and affiliates, these firms and their employees represent more than 100,000 green industry professionals.