The Wheatland and Area Hospice Society (WHAS) demonstrated a new machine from Brandt Tractor Ltd. As this season wraps up, the Farming for Hospice group is already preparing for next season, and this 45 foot long high speed disc machine will make preparations significantly easier.
In a demonstration, the tractor was shown to be able to drive up to 12 miles per hour, and the 45 foot long high speed discs had the ability to potentially go 8 inches deep into the ground. This machine tears up the ground so the soil will be ready for next season. Brandt Tractors is the newest partner on board, as the society already partnered with Nutrien, who donated the 160 acres of land, a Director on the Board of the Hospice Society Teri McKinnon is really excited about this new partnership with Brandt and the machinery that came with it.
"It's phenomenal. Brandt Tractors really wanted to be more involved in the community, and their customers are our customers because our customers in this initiative are farmers, and because Wheatland County is predominantly an agricultural community, this initiative resonates really strongly with the farming," she said.
She added this is a win for everyone involved, as the machine will help the Hospice Society, it helps Nutrien since they need somebody to crop the land to get rid of water, and it's a win for Brandt, who can show off their new machine to plenty of farmers.
Farming for Hospice is an initiative that aims to raise money to bring palliative care to Wheatland County. Every year, farmers volunteer their time and effort to grow and harvest crops on the land Nutrien donated, and the proceeds from the harvest go towards the WHAS and its palliative care efforts, this year they raised $120 000.
McKinnon says there are no dedicated spaces for patients who are dying in Wheatland County, so they often get moved to Calgary and Lethbridge. She wants to change this, as she strongly believes in the importance of being in comfort at the end stages of your life.
"Our long-term vision is to find dedicated beds in alliance and partnership with the new seniors living so that no one is ever displaced from the community when they're given a diagnosis of being terminally ill. Palliative care is critical for the dignity of the patient and the respect for the family and not having to travel to be with their loved one."
The partnership McKinnon referenced is with the Wheatland Seniors' Housing board, who are proposing a new lodge be built in Strathmore. Original founding member of the WAHS Keith Clayton explained it's their goal to bring palliative care into this building.
It takes a lot of time and hard work to make Farming for Hospice a reality, but Clayton is happy to do it for a good cause.
"It's a sad thing to take the comfort away at the end of life, so that's what we're trying to add in, get it back into the community so people in the last stages of life are in comfort and surrounded by their loved ones they've had all their lives," Clayton said.
Farming for Hospice has raised a lot of funds over the years, but it also costs a lot, as any farmer knows how expensive it can be to grow and maintain crops. Learn more about the WAHS and their community goals for Strathmore, along with how you can become involved by visiting their website.
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Fri, May 3, 10:00 AM
