With the help of a number of volunteers supplying combines, trucks and time the Yorkton Terriers harvested a major fundraiser Friday.
Seed to Score is a new fundraising effort in support of the local Junior Hockey Club initiated in the spring.
The program has a number of local businesses supporting the Terries in an effort to grow a canola crop which they will market in the fall.
The team had acquired 200 acres of land, some from the City of Yorkton, and some renting from Vern Brown in the spring, explained Terrier general manager Don Chesney, adding the initial idea was put forth by club president Lyle Walsh.
Once the team had acquired the land, a number of businesses were approached to support producing a crop, including providing seed, fertilizer and seeding equipment.
Recently more volunteer businesses swathed the crop, and Friday combines from three local dealerships, Maple Farm Equipment, Yorkton New Holland and W S White's Ag Sales & Service, along with Vern Brown combined the canola. Buckle Transport, Canamera LP and Prodonchuk Trucking provided the trucks to haul it.
Yorkton & Ebenzer Co-op were also supportive of the effort, said Chesney.
Larry Hilworth with Maple Farm said their firm saw the project as a good one.
"We do various community projects at all of our locations," he said, adding in Yorkton the Terriers "have been around a long time" and supporting the team was a natural.
"We ended up seeding the crop," said Hilworth, adding with the management expertise of Agri-Trend they used variable seeding rates fitting the "prescription" provided.
Then through sister company Green Trac Spray Masters, Hilworth said they provided spray services.
"And now we're helping combine the grain," he said, adding through all the efforts "the Terriers are going to make some money on it."
Hilworth said the field was running 35-40 bushels an acre on a day canola was bringing about $14/bushel.
Chesney said the idea is a good one as it is a fresh way to raise money. He said the team has nearly maxed out its corporate support in areas such as board signage, and in-ice logos, but the crop project is a new way to support the Terriers and generate some positive publicity for participants.
