The Health Foundation appeared at the most recent regular meeting of Yorkton Council Feb. 22, to provide an update on its Farming For Health (FFH) initiative.
The fundraising effort began in 2013, said FFH co-chair Larry Hilworth, adding that was the year the City donated the use of 700 acres of land - split over two parcels - to grow a crop they could then sell.
Initially the primary focus was to raise dollars for a talked about, and much needed, new hospital for Yorkton, said Hilworth. and "to raise awareness for the need for a new hospital."
So far the project has raised $1.492 million.
"That's net dollars. Our gross is considerably higher than that," said Hilworth, adding "we couldn't do this without the City and the City land."
In fact, Hilworth said other Health Foundations have called to inquire how they manage to make FFH work, and no other group has managed to get a project off the ground, largely because they do not have land available to them.
It has helped too that the project has had huge support from the agriculture sector, said Hilworth, noting for example they have had some $300,000 in canola seed supplied through the years, and local implement dealers have stepped up to plant the crop and help harvest it.
In that regard co-chair Allan Mitchel noted, "this isn't a Yorkton project, it's a regional project," in terms of the scope of the support they receive.
The initiative would raise $1 million within a few years, but as the likelihood of a new facility being build in the short term, the focus of FFH changed.
With the $1 million set aside, additional money raised, near half a million to-date, has gone to the Health Foundation to buy a range of equipment for the hospital.
Ross Fisher, Executive Director with the Health Foundation said since 2018 they have typically looked to purchase a major piece of equipment that allows patients to be treated here rather than having to travel, or that updates old equipment to provide better service.
For example in 2018 they purchased an ultrasound machine, in 2019 a hematology analyzer, a centrifuge and a microscopy system for the lab.
In 2020, the focus changed. With COVID-19 the province focused its funding on the pandemic, for the HF with FFH dollars back-filled buying a range of smaller cost items which were still needed.
This is the final year of the agreement the City and HF have for use of the land, but Hilworth said they are looking to renew the agreement for another four years, adding they would hope to raise close to $1 million in that time.
