Application window open for 2024 Rural Communities Grant

Jul 31, 2024

A total of $100,000 is available for community projects

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

Rural communities requiring financial support for local projects are encouraged to apply for a 2024 Rural Communities Grant from the United Farmers of Alberta’s (UFA) Agricultural Community Foundation.

Communities have until Aug. 31 to apply for an individual grant of at least $10,000. A total of $100,000 in grants is available.

“The $100,000 grant is divided among the top projects our judges believe best fit our mandate,” a UFA information page says. “If selected as a winner, you may receive the full amount or a portion of the funds available,”

The grants are available “for projects that support recreational, educational and cultural facilities and programs,” the application website says.

In 2023, for example, the Cotillion Butte Recreation Association in Bonanza, Alta., received $32,000 to support the community hall’s replacement.

And in 2020, the Castor and District Museum Society in Castor, Alta., used its $27,250 grant towards museum renovations.

That work included maintenance of an Alberta Pacific Grain elevator believed to be built in 1910 and one of the oldest in the province.

The grants aren’t only available to communities in Alberta.

The UFA has 34 Farm and Ranch supply stores and more than 100 petroleum locations spread out between Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan.

Communities within 200 km of a UFA location can apply for a grant.

Video: California Farm Bureau 2025 Farm Dog of the Year Contest Winner - Willy - CAFB 107th Annual Meeting

Meet Willy: California Farm Bureau’s 2025 Farm Dog of the Year!

We’re excited to introduce Willy, a miniature long-haired dachshund with a big heart and even bigger courage, and the Grand Prize winner of this year’s Farm Dog of the Year Contest!

Willy may be small, but he’s become an indispensable partner on owner Marshal Hagedorn’s forestry and cattle operations in Shasta, Tehama, and Siskiyou counties. Adopted in 2023, he quickly found his place on the ranch, helping manage critters, tagging along for long days in the woods, and offering unwavering companionship during demanding logging work.

Willy has even taken naturally to moving cattle, surprising calves (and more than a few full-grown cows!) with his burst of energy from the tall grass. As Marshal put it: “He goes with me everywhere every single day.”

Congratulations to Willy and his family, a perfect example of how every good farm dog, no matter the size, helps keep California agriculture running strong.