A program that allows farmers to nominate their favourite community charity or not-for-profit group for a $2,500 grant attracted a record number of applications this year.

The 2018 edition of Canada’s Farmers Grow Communities received 758 farmer applications (a 68 per cent increase from 2017) and 337 charity suggestions (a 200 per cent increase from 2017). Two winners from each of the country’s 33 farming regions (selected by a random draw) were chosen to share $165,000 in funding.

The 2018 Alberta winners (with the nominating farmers in parentheses) are: Acme Swimming Pool (Kelli Becker, Acme), Airdrie & District Victims Assistance Society (Bob and Ellen Cornish, Airdrie), Alberta Central Railroad Museum (M Jean Angus, Wetaskiwin), Donalda Animal Rescue (Marijke Maltais, Stettler), Alberta Legacy Development Society (Douglas Schneider, Leduc), Friends of the Newbrook Public Library (Dalton Trenholm, Newbrook), Beaverlodge Rural Crime Watch (Cori Blum, Hythe), Saskatoon Lake Agricultural Society (David Hegland, Wembley), Stavely And District Agricultural Society (Travis Husted, Stavely), Wrentham Library Society (Alvin Waldner, Wrentham), Peace Region Dance Academy (Derrick Dechief, Falher), Warriors Youth Rec Hockey Team (Marc Brochu, Girouxville), Drumheller & District Humane Society (Lisa Rosgen, Drumheller), Trochu Valley Historical Society (Francis deBeaudrap, Trochu), Beaver County Victim Services Association (Colleen Sears, Tofield), The Heather Curling Club (Cathy Freed, Vegreville), Clandonald & District Recreation Association (Audrey Cusak, Clandonald), and Provost Lions Community Handi-van Service Society (Menzies Farms, Provost).

The money for the initiative comes from the Monsanto Fund, a philanthropic arm of Bayer. Applications for the 2019 edition of the program will open in January (and be accepted until next September) at canadasfarmers.ca.