Field of the Future gives back — with community support

In 2013, the proceeds from their first crop was split between the Victoria Hospital Foundation and the Red River Roping and Riding Club.

They harvested more than 200 acres of wheat in 2013 and the crop brought in $38,000, which was split between both organizations.

In 2014, they harvested more 185 acres of canola, bringing in $32,000 for the Mont St. Joseph Foundation.

McLean said every year employees at Redhead sit down and talk about who could benefit from the proceeds of that year’s crop.

This year’s recipient will be the Buckland Fire Department.

“Buckland Fire has a lot of volunteers in the area that are farmers and work with companies that help us on our charity field … It’s just a good cause. They’re the guys that if any of our customers get in danger or in a pickle [Buckland] is who goes to help them out … our customers are number one and we want them safe.”

He said Buckland Fire is a fantastic organization and Redhead is happy to help out.

Some of the proceeds Buckland Fire will see will go towards farm rescue training that will be taking place in October.

The money for the rescue training will include purchasing rescue equipment the fire crew needs to help keep people in the area safe.

The crops will be grown in two separate locations, on along Marquis Drive and Sixth Avenue East in Prince Albert and the other will be located along Elevator Road near Highway 2.

“We have finished seeding. Tim Sjogren, one of our employees, spent a lot of his May long weekend on his own time finishing seeding. We started on Thursday night and we finished Saturday, we had just a little touch up Saturday morning,” McLean said.

This year, Redhead decided to plant green peas.

McLean said they’ve already made “contracted production to sell the green peas off the combine” to Belle Pulses Ltd. in Duck Lake.

“We’re quite hopeful this could be a great year.”

He said they’ve received enormous amounts of help from the community, not only for the last two years, but this year as well. He credited the Co-op with making sure the soil testing is complete, helping them get fertilizer and helping McLean secure chemical spray for the year.

The Co-op is also helping to cover the cost of some of the fuel that is being used.

McLean said Ron Warner and his crew at Crop Production Services have helped get other chemicals needed for the field and help them find seed. Redhead has even had a customer come forward with seed and sold it to Redhead at a reasonable price.

Some of the chemical companies have helped out by covering the cost of the stuff they use. He said Macdon, Case IH, SeedHawk and Farm Credit Canada help by donating money and use of machinery.

Fremont Trucking made sure trucks were at the fields so the peas could be seeded on time and donates that time.

“[Fremont] donates all his time, his trucks and his guys at harvest time to haul that stuff right to the elevator for us, which without that option we’re in big trouble because we don’t have bins,” McLean said. “He’s been fantastic every year. He always makes it work, don’t know how he does it because he’s always busy.”

And for the third year in a row Mark-It Signs has provided signs for the campaign.

“The big surprise this year was the Northern Fringe Marketing Club, which is basically a group of farmers all around the Prince Albert area … one of their main guys walking into [Redhead] a couple of weeks ago and handed us a cheque towards the cost of the farm, to help cover off some of the costs we don’t get covered, like some of the fuel and chemicals.”

He said it meant a lot to Redhead to see some of their own customers come out and help with this initiative.

“[Field of the Future] started off a lot smaller than it’s become, a lot of people help out, yeah Redhead spearhead it but it’s amazing how many people contribute in many ways.”

He said now it’s time to sit back and watch the field grow.

swallace@panow.com

On Twitter: @sarahthesquid

by Sarah Wallace

Field of the Future gives back — with community support

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