On September 22, the Nipawin Hawks Farming Venture officially reached harvest day!
With beautiful late-September weather on our side, volunteers, local businesses, coaches and Hawks players gathered at the field to bring in this year’s Nexera canola crop. It was a great day and another reminder of just how much community support goes into making this farming venture possible.
The combines started rolling around 11 a.m., with Lee Morgan and his crew from Redhead Equipment arriving to open up the field with a Case IH combine. Wade Bednarz with Brandt joined the harvest behind the wheel of a John Deere combine, while Abraham Espag from Rocky Mountain Equipment helped bring in the crop with a New Holland combine.
A & K Enns kept the operation moving by hauling the harvested canola to Lake Country Co-op. Ravine Bank Farms also generously donated the use of a tractor and auger to assist with unloading the canola at the Co-op.
Lake Country Co-op has loaned the Hawks several bins to store the Nexera canola until October 5. Their support didn’t stop there. Tina Haluke and Rodney Cummings from Lake Country Co-op brought out their BBQ trailer and cooked up a fantastic field lunch for the players, volunteers and everyone helping with harvest.
Hawks Head Coach and GM Tad Kozun, Assistant Coach Van Taylor and Emma Galloway were also on hand with the team. Harvest day gave our players a firsthand look at the farming venture and everything that goes into making a project like this successful, and, ultimately, helping our organization continue to operate.
The players weren’t just there to watch. They got involved throughout the day, helping Ian Rushmer unload grain trucks and even getting the opportunity to climb into the combines for a ride and see harvest from the cab.
Our agronomy partner, Ag Grow, sent along their greetings and continued support, while Brice Drinkwater from Bunge joined us in the field and provided everyone in attendance with a bottle of high-stability Nexera canola oil, a fitting way to bring the project full circle.
The Hawks Farming Venture is about much more than what comes off the field at harvest. It’s about the businesses, farmers, volunteers and community members who donate their time, equipment, expertise and resources to make it happen.
A huge thank you to Redhead Equipment, Brandt, Rocky Mountain Equipment, A & K Enns, Ravine Bank Farms, Lake Country Co-op, Ag Grow, Bunge, and every volunteer who helped throughout the season and on harvest day.
From planting to harvest, this venture has truly been a community effort, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who has helped make it possible.
Thank you for continuing to support the Nipawin Hawks and Hawks Farming Venture.
