Farms.com Home   Ag Industry News

Raising money for the Canadian Tractor Museum

Raising money for the Canadian Tractor Museum

A Black Tie Bingo event will take place June 22 at the Memorial Hall in Westlock, Alta.

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

An Alberta ag museum is holding a fundraiser to help keep local history alive for future generations.

The Canadian Tractor Museum in Westlock, Alta. will host a Black Tie Bingo event on June 22 at the Memorial Hall.

The upscale evening will feature a prime rib dinner, drinks, an auction, bingo games and entertainment. All proceeds raised from the event will go to the museum.

Aside from a few paid staff and access to government grants, the museum is supported by volunteers.

“We’ve been trying to find ways to survive,” Annette Schwab, the secretary and treasurer with the museum, told Farms.com. “We need to be financially sustainable, so this fundraiser will help us be able to put the museum front and centre for everyone to enjoy.”

The community has stepped up in a major way to help get the fundraiser off the ground.

Rocky Mountain Equipment is donating $50,000 to the museum over five years, plus an additional $5,000 annually for three years to help the museum host fundraising events.

Keeping the Canadian Tractor Museum open is important to show younger farmers how the previous generations produced food, said Jim Wood, chief sales and operating officer with Rocky Mountain Equipment.

“Agricultural methods are changing at such a rapid pace, it’s more important than ever for us to preserve the history of how we got to where we are today,” he said in a statement.

Rocky Mountain Equipment is also donating a Traeger barbecue as a bingo prize and Wood will serve as the MC for the evening.

Other local business donated prizes too.

Fountain Tire is gifting an ag tire package valued at $2,000. Martin Deerline is donating a lawn care package valued at $1,560 and Brown’s Chrysler is donating a WestJet voucher worth $1,500.

The community support has been outstanding, Schwab said.

“The support from everyone reinforces our belief that the museum is an integral part of the community,” she said. “We’re offering more programs and attendance been increasing.”

Tickets for the event are $60 each or people can reserve a table of 10 for $600.

Schwab encourages anyone interested to get tickets while they can.

“We’re finding that most people are just buying whole tables,” she said. “We’re definitely over half sold and we are really looking forward to seeing everyone on June 22.”


Trending Video

The FCDC and AgSmart Bring Plant Breeding to a Wider Audience

Video: The FCDC and AgSmart Bring Plant Breeding to a Wider Audience

In the vast prairies of Alberta, Olds College’s Field Crop Development Centre (FCDC) stands as a beacon of innovation and research in the agricultural world. The institution has become a key player in advancing agricultural technologies and practices. The FCDC’s commitment to applied research has driven them to seek effective means of disseminating their findings and creating a positive impact on the farming community.

One such avenue that aligns with their mission is AgSmart, an event dedicated to showcasing cutting-edge agricultural technologies. The coming together of the FCDC’s annual Field Day and Ag Smart has proved to be a natural fit, fostering a synergy that benefits both parties and propels the agriculture industry forward. The FCDC Field Day took part in conjunction with AgSmart for the first time this week on Aug. 1-2 in Olds, Alta. FCDC Program Director Kofi Agblor and Olds College VP of Development Todd Ormann sat down for an interview with Marc Zienkiewicz to discuss the significance of the two events taking part together and what the future holds.

The Intersection of Research and Technology The essence of the FCDC lies in its dedication to plant breeding and new seed varieties, particularly barley and triticale. While conducting research is essential, it becomes meaningful when its benefits are shared with the wider community. This is where AgSmart steps in, providing a key venue for the FCDC to showcase their research. This union between research and technology creates a holistic and enriching experience for farmers, ranchers, and industry professionals, the pair said.

Seeds as Technology For the FCDC, the partnership with AgSmart goes beyond mere event collaboration. It is about creating an environment that bridges the gap between seeds and smart technology, Ormann said. The college believes that for technology to truly revolutionize agriculture, it must begin with a strong foundation — high-quality seeds. As the saying goes, “it all starts with a seed.” To demonstrate this critical aspect, the collaboration aims to showcase the seed value chain as an integral part of the smartphone.

The Birth of a Powerful Alliance The idea of joining forces emerged when staff realized the potential synergy between AgSmart and the FCDC Field Day. With just a few days separating the two events, a proposal was put forward to merge them. The marketing and communications teams from both sides worked seamlessly to ensure the essence of both events remained intact, creating a powerful alliance that leverages the strengths of each, Agblor said.

Driving Advancements in Breeding For Agblor, the partnership with AgSmart has tremendous potential to drive advancements in breeding and other technology. With technologies like drones and imaging becoming integral to phenotyping, breeding is no longer confined to vast fields to assess thousands of plants manually. Instead, it benefits from the data-rich insights brought about by smart technologies. These advancements make breeding more efficient, precise, and instrumental in shaping the future of agriculture.

Overcoming Challenges Together While the partnership between Olds College and Ag Smart has been a resounding success, there are challenges on the horizon. Securing stable funding for long-term breeding initiatives is crucial to sustain progress. The college is committed to navigating these challenges and investing in agriculture’s future sustainably, Agblor said.

 

Comments


Your email address will not be published