In its first year, the Farming for Health project has set a high bar. The canola crop brought in $331,205, which will be put towards the new hospital.
According to Ross Fisher, executive director of The Health Foundation, the project is about much more than just the amount of money raised, but also the sheer amount of support for the hospital which the success of the initiative represents. Fisher says that one of the goals of the program was to demonstrate that there is a broad base of support in the community for a new hospital, and this initiative shows the sheer amount of support from the agricultural community, with so many people coming together in order to make the program a success.
"The main thing you want to do is involve people and get the agriculture sector working on this program and getting behind it, and that was an overwhelming success. Because of that success, we raised more money than we initially thought... When you have almost no cost for your project, it's easier to make money."
The program brought together a number of different businesses to make it work and donate all of the input costs. Scott Park of Agri-Trend did the soil testing and crop monitoring, Canamera Carriers donated the transportation, Yorkton Co-op donated the fuel, Dow AgriSciences donated the Nexera canola seed, and White's Ag, Rocky Mountain Equipment, Yorkton New Holland and Maple Farm Equipment all donated the use of equipment in the project. At the end of the day, Louis Dreyfus Commodities purchased the crop.
The crop itself averaged 40.5 bushels an acre, and it was described as a very good year for farming overall. Fisher says that some dealers had difficulty keeping up with equipment given the demands of area farmers due to their own successful year.
Fisher says the project has exceeded beyond expectations, and it is something which they hope to try again in the future. He says that everybody involved is proud of what has been accomplished with the program, and hopes to replicate the success in the future.
