Wednesday afternoon was a beautiful day for harvest, and that’s what volunteers from the Wheatland & Area Hospice Society were doing out by Carseland.

The group, along with dignitaries, Wheatland County councillor Glenn Koester, MLA for Chestermere-Strathmore Leela Sharon Aheer, and Bow River MP Martin Shields attended the harvest of canola crops just west of Carseland.

This year’s fundraiser, Farming For Hospice, had seven combines, four trucks, and covered 155 acres of land. There were 5,738 bushels of canola, which yielded 39.8 bushels per acre.

Those who contributed to the harvest included Gulco Farms Ltd., Kenwynn Farms, Keith Cleveland, Keith Clayton, Neil Miller, Bruce Farms, and Richard Wagner.

According to the Wheatland and Area Hospice Society, “Harvest can teach us a lot about life and being thankful. The full crop growth cycle also required an entire community to interact with the crop and grow a safe and healthy crop; pre-seed spray by Target Air, vertical tilling by Gulco Farms, flex harrows by Keith Clayton, seeding by Kenwynn Farms, weed control spray by Bruce Farms, crop protection spray by Early Bird Air, and swathing by Keith Clayton. Having the community share in this initiative is greatly appreciated.”

Wheatland & Area Hospice Society wants to acknowledge other significant roles in the success of this project; Nutrien generously donated the land, Pioneer Seeds gifted the canola seed and Premium Ag who provided agronomic excellence. There were also tremendous donors supporting behind the scenes with their commitment to building the capacity of palliative care in Wheatland County.

“What you plant is what you harvest, and Wheatland & Area Hospice Society is very grateful for their Farming For Hospice harvest. All monies raised go toward increasing awareness that we are all hospice caregivers whichever job we do.”