A Manitoba community is inviting farmers and rural people to a friendly competition of vision.
Not the 20/20 kind, though.
“It’s a contest of ideas,” said Cathy Day of Boissevain, Man.
The Turtle Mountain Community Development Corp., of which Day is a member, wants rural Manitobans to put pen to paper and submit their ideas to the Small Farm Challenge. Residents from Alberta and Saskatchewan are also eligible.
To win the contest, people must submit their ideas about what “an ideal rural life” might look like, which would promote “the success of smaller scale farms and viable rural businesses.”
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However, the development corporation doesn’t want only a pie-in-the-sky list of ideas. It is looking for real plans that cover “land, people, energy, business and marketing,” according to the contest description.
“We don’t have any rules and regulations for (submissions to) the Small Farm Challenge,” said Day. “We just want people to share their ideas with other people that would spark some more discussion about what the possibilities are.”
Like many prairie regions, southwestern Manitoba and its communities face an unviable economic situation that is forcing people off the land.
“History has shown that nobody – governments, churches, universities or benefit concerts – will turn this situation around unless rural communities give the lead,” said the Small Farm Challenge’s website.
In 2004, the corporation responded by gathering the stories of 20 successful small farms and publishing a book. The contest is a continuation of that process.
“We wanted to explore further ideas people might have in terms of bringing more people to the area,” said Day. “And keep more yard lights on in rural Manitoba.”
The deadline for entering is Dec. 1, and $5,000 in cash is available. The five successful winners will attend Farm Focus, Boissevain’s local agricultural trade show, to be held in February. Details can be found at www.boissevain.ca.
