Applications are pouring in for farm aid collected from two Say Hay
concerts held last month in Calgary and Edmonton.
Organized by Key Entertainment of Calgary, the country music concerts
earned almost $2 million.
An organizing committee agreed to split the funds several ways.
The Alberta Farm Animal Care Association has received $100,000 to help
livestock in distress and another $100,000 was donated to the 4-H
member feed collection program.
Donations also paid for 76 rail cars to bring eastern hay to Western
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Canada through the Hay West campaign.
The remainder is available to producers on an application basis. Each
lengthy application will be reviewed by a committee appointed by the
4-H Foundation of Alberta.
All applications will be reviewed following the Dec. 16 deadline and
applicants will be notified within 45 days of the deadline whether
their application was accepted.
“We didn’t want to get into the financial side of what people are
about. This is about feeding animals,” said Bruce Banks, who manages
the 4-H Foundation of Alberta, which is administering the aid.
The goal is to provide assistance in feed or cash to Alberta-resident
farmers and ranchers who have had to reduce their breeding herd and
still lack feed for the upcoming winter.
The financial assistance might also be used to offset freight costs.
Alberta farms or ranches maintaining significant breeding animals in
the province are eligible to apply. These operations must have made
attempts to secure alternate sources of feed but as of the date of
application still require feed.
Not eligible for payment under this program are feed purchases or
transportation costs made before Say Hay funding approval or people who
received assistance through the Hay West or other community initiatives.
The 4-H foundation also wants to link Alberta farmers short of feed
with those who have feed available. This year’s disappointing harvest
has resulted in large amounts of abandoned crops that can be salvaged
for feed.
Send applications to 4-H Foundation of Alberta, RR 1, Westerose,
Alta., T0C 2V0. Phone 780-682-2153, fax 780-682-3784 or e-mail:
foundation@4hab.com.
