With the SJHL season dropping the puck on Friday, the Yorkton Terriers hockey club began harvest on its newest attempt to pump much needed money into the program with its "Seed to Score" efforts. The Seed for Score program was the brainchild of the board of directors who were looking for ways to add revenue to cover the expenses of running the SJHL team. The plan was to buy land and with help of volunteers, local businesses, and hard work, turn a canola harvest into money for the club.
A section of land just past the SGI building on York Road was acquired from a local farmer and the ball started rolling. Richardson helped with the canola seed and the fertilizer and Maple Farm Equipment helped seed and swathing, as well as Yorkton New Holland who helped with the combining and swathing. Farrell Agencies also donated hail insurance to the project. Yorkton Dairy Queen helped out by donating lunches to the team of farmers helping out with the combining.
As for a total dollar figure team president Lyle Walsh mentioned that an exact figure will not be known until all combining is completed and the canola is put on the market. However it was said that they are getting 30-35 bushels an acre on 200 acres of land. With canola marketing at around $14-15 a bushel that would roughly garner the Terriers project around $84, 000 in revenue in its first year.
Walsh keyed on how instrumental community support was for the project and that once all of the farm equipment companies and Richardson hopped on board things started to get rolling. Vern and Donna Brown received a special thank you for allowing the project on their land and for helping watch the land in between seeding and harvesting of the crop.
As for expectations for the Terriers season that starts on September 21 against Weyburn, Walsh was excited for the season. "Trent Cassan as head coach has done an excellent job of scouting along with our scout team, and we have a good group of guys coming back as well as fresh blood giving us a good group of skaters so we will definitely be in the hunt this year" said Walsh.
Game time for the Yorkton Terriers season and home opener is 7:30 pm on September 21 as they face the Weyburn Red Wings. Other key games on the Terriers 2012/13 schedule include home/away weekend sets with Melville October 12/13, November 23/24, and December 30/January 1. The Terriers last game before Christmas break is at home to Notre Dame on Tuesday, December 18.
The Terriers longest road trip of the season is a seven game stretch from November 2-16 where they will travel to Kindersley, Battlefords, Humboldt, Flin Flon, La Ronge, and Weyburn before heading to the friendly confines of the Farrell Agencies Arena for a Sunday match up against Flin Flon on November 18.
The Terriers close out the season with three of their final games on the road as they embark on a road trip to Flin Flon, Nipawin, and Melfort before closing out the 2012/13 SJHL regular season with a Sunday clash at home against the Battlefords North Stars. With the season starting this weekend expect another entertaining and competitive season out of one of the SJHL's most consistent franchises at the FAA.
