Changes for this year's Airport Farm Project

Share

 DSC0017online

Photo by Kira Paterson. Enns Brothers has taken over the Neepawa Airport Farm Project, a fundraiser for the Yellowhead Arena and Neepawa Curling Club.

By Kira Paterson

The Neepawa Press

The Neepawa Airport Farm Project is underway again. This year, Enns Brothers has taken on the project as an additional way to get involved in the community.

Justin Pollock, branch manager of Enns Brothers in Neepawa, said that every branch has different community involvements and this was one thing the Neepawa branch decided to do this year.

This isn’t the first year that the airport land has been farmed. In previous years, it had been local farmers donating their time and equipment to make it happen. The annual project began in the 1990s.

This was a good project for Enns Brothers to get involved in because it not only benefits the community, but it also benefits their company. The company’s staff use their equipment for the working of the field. “It gives the staff more time in the fields with our machinery,” explained Pollock. He said it’s good that they can get more experience with and knowledge of the equipment they’re working with and selling. 

“We’re doing everything from seeding in the spring right up until harvest, all the equipment is ours with the exception of the vehicles we don’t have,” Pollock added. He explained that the grain trucks they used were lent to them by local farmers and the sprayers were from Northstar Spraying Systems, which is partially owned by Enns Brothers.

They planted soybeans; Kulbacki Seed Plant in Eden donated the seed. The fertilizer was donated by Neepawa-Gladstone Co-op. Right now, Pollock estimates that the crop will be ready to be combined within the next two weeks. 

Once the crops are in, they’ll sell them. All the money made from the sales will be split between the Yellowhead Centre and the Neepawa Curling Club. “A lot of the community does benefit from these facilities,” said Pollock. Enns Brothers is proud to be able to support these amenities in Neepawa for all those who use them. 

Pollock said that it’s been a great experience overall for him and his staff. 

The Airport Farm Project is something that Enns Brothers hopes to be involved with in the years to come. “We would like this to be an ongoing project for us.”

 DSC0012online

Photo by Kira Paterson. Soybeans are being grown for this year's Neepawa Airport Farm Project.