Rural revival ideas sought

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Published: April 18, 2002

A community in southwestern Manitoba wants to gather ideas about how a

farm can thrive with 640 acres or less.

The Turtle Mountain Community Development Corp. struck a committee this

winter to lead the initiative.

Residents hope to help repopulate an area that includes the towns of

Boissevain, Minto and Elgin and the rural municipalities of Morton and

Whitewater.

To achieve that goal, the community development corporation is inviting

ideas from people who have found ways to make farming viable with 640

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acres or less.

Those ideas could then help reverse the trend toward increasingly large

farms, something that is happening across the Prairies as farmers

attempt to capture economies of scale.

The ideas gathered will be reviewed for their merit.

Once the research is done, models will be developed that could benefit

people interested in farming without having to own several sections of

land.

The corporation serves an area that includes grain, livestock and mixed

farming operations. The average farm size is about 1,500 acres,

although there are farms that are much larger. Population decline is a

concern for many rural communities in Western Canada. As it occurs, it

can become increasingly difficult for communities to maintain the

services and activities that keep it vibrant.

People interested in submitting ideas to the corporation can contact

Ruth Mealy, economic development officer, at 204-534-6303.

About the author

Ian Bell

Brandon bureau

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