Farming for Hospice celebrates partners

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Farming for Hospice celebrated another year of crops grown and harvested in support of their efforts to raise money for a local hospice building on Aug. 9.

Joni McNeely, chairperson for the Wheatland and Area Hospice Society (WAHS), said the team is well on their way to reaching their goal for the new building and is excited for the prospect of finally having their own walls. 

“Currently we’re a hospice without walls and we need those walls … usually, a full quarter section of crop nets us approximately $100,000 per year,” said McNeely. “As well, the contributions from the community when they support us by buying acres, and as well last year we were very fortunate to have an event put on by Drew Gregory, which helped as well to contribute to the total bottom line, which all goes 100 per cent into building our hospice in collaboration with (Wheatland) Lodge.”

McNeely said the estimated cost of the new hospice will be in the ballpark of $2.7 million. Currently, the WAHS has raised roughly $2.1 million in support of their eventual new building.

If the current fundraising trends continue, it will be another couple of years of fundraising before construction begins. 

“The next steps would be collaborating with the municipalities to help with some of the operating funds (and) collaborating with Alberta Health Services to help with the operation and support of all the hospice services,” said McNeely. “We are also looking to increase the knowledge and awareness and ability of our communities to support the hospice, which would entail our community coming in and volunteering to work in the hospice.”

Keith Clayton, WAHS director, said the event hosted on Aug. 9, was aimed to celebrate and recognize the folks who gave Farming for Hospice a hand this year in farming the quarter section at the Nutrien plant. 

“Nutrien has given us the opportunity to grow crops on the land and raise money for the hospice society,” said Clayton. “It’s worked out extremely well for the last three years and we appreciate what they’ve done and hope it continues for as long as life is the way it is.”

In the first year of Farming for Hospice’s operation, the team worked out of Standard with a quarter section of farmland rented there. 

This year marks the third such operation that has been on land donated for the summer by Nutrien, adjacent to their plant. 

“Not every farming organization has the ability to give up a quarter section of land that they use for their own income,” said Clayton. “So, with Nutrien stepping to the plate like this, has been a very fortunate thing for us.”

More information can be found, along with information on the acres of inputs that are still available for purchase and donations that are still being accepted can be found online (wheatlandhospice.ca).