Community for Crop in Stockholm raises $88,500 in 2022 for recreation projects
January 16, 2023, 1:22 pm
Sierra D'Souza Butts, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The initiative Community for Crop in Stockholm raised $88,500 this year from their harvest a crop fundraiser. All of the proceeds raised will be donated to support community projects within the area.
Since the initiative started in 2014, the group has raised $255,000 which has helped build and upgrade existing facilities within the community, such as the school playground, the Stockholm Community Daycare, the communiplex and more.
“The goal behind the group is to support our community with their needs,” said Melissa Johanson, principal at Macdonald School Stockholm.
“This year was particularly a successful year where we raised $88,500 off of a canola crop. From that, there will be $20,000 going to Macdonald School Stockholm, $20,000 to the Stockholm Ball Park, $20,000 to the daycare, $20,000 to the Reg Banga Memorial Communiplex, as well as $7,500 to the Stockholm Fire Department, $500 to the Stockholm Legion Branch and $500 to the Stockholm Silver Social Club.”
Because of the help from local businesses, producers and volunteers in the community, the initiative has been able to continue for years.
“Mosaic has been a main contributor over the years in sponsoring a donation of potash yearly to support this project. This spearheads our project each year,” said Johanson.
“Sharpe’s Crop Services supports our project by converting the potash to seed, fertilizer and herbicide, involving agronomists for soil testing and offering support throughout the growing.
“Plasti-Lite Signs provides signage at crop to share. The Village of Stockholm donates approximately 80 acres of land that we can use to put our crop in. We also rent approximately 30 acres from another Stockholm resident for a total of approximately 110 acres.
“Over the past few years, some larger corporations such as Mazergroup Moosomin, RPM Moosomin, Pattison Ag Yorkton, Canadian Harvest Centre Yorkton and Norenda Ag Gerald have supported this project, which has put wind in our sails again.
“Then from our community, all of the farmers in our community have contributed one way or another whether they’ve seeded, done rock picking, sprayed, combined, donated trucking etc. They have contributed their valuable time, fuel, equipment and vast expertise to the project each year.
“For their contribution to the community during their busiest and most stressful time of year, we are beyond grateful.
“Without our farmers in the community this would have never been able to continue.”
History behind how Crop for Community began
Johanson spoke about how the fundraiser first started.
“Crop for Community began as an initiative to raise money for our playground at the school, and it was so successful that we continued it,” said Johanson.
“That brought in about $14,000 which was huge when we were used to doing fundraisers that raised $300 here, $300 there and $1,000 there.
“To bring in $14,000 was really the spark that sort of put the wind in our sales, and made it seem possible to get somewhere.”
Being one of the first people to be on the committee when Crop for Community first began, Johanson spoke about why she enjoys being a part of the initiative to this day.
“I grew up in a small town and recognized the importance of volunteer work in a small community,” she said.
“My husband and I do not farm anymore and are unable to donate farm equipment, so I will continue to sit on this committee and give my time to support such an amazing project that brings so much to our community.
“As a principal of a school, I have witnessed just how much this project has helped impact our community, especially our youth, in a very positive way over the years. Each year it can get to be a little stressful when it comes to seeding and harvesting times, but when we see what it brings to our community and when we participate in our agriculture event with the students, it is easy to see why we keep pushing forward.
“Every member, every volunteer and contributor to this project has had a lasting effect on our community, and our youth now and in the future.”
Prior to the pandemic, the committee for Crop for Community would host a supper every year to thank all of the volunteers who were involved with the fundraiser.
“This year we put on a Community Harvest Hoedown instead. Anyone who contributed to our crop we gave VIP free tickets to them and their families,” said Johanson.
“We also did a presentation to share what these funds are going towards, that way people could see how it supported our school over the years, how it supported the rink over the years, the ball park. We had a cabaret as well, there was about 220 people who attended.
“It’s an amazing fundraiser for a small community like ours.”
