Project Name: Elevate Ag – Haldimand County
Project summary and highlights:
Elevate Agriculture was a new initiative created by the Haldimand Federation of Agriculture designed to support local, grassroots projects that raise awareness of agriculture in Haldimand County. By encouraging education, innovation, and sustainability, the program was designed to strengthen community ties and promote a positive future for local agriculture.
Each organization completed an intake form for their event which consisted of questions like ‘how will this funding have an impact on the local agricultural community’, and ‘what will the funding be used for’. Then a committee within the HFA looked over the applications and allocated funding based on organization needs and benefits to the community.
4 Events Were Awarded Funding
- Hagersville 150 (Ag Day)
- Haldimand 4-H Association
- Haldimand Dairy Club (Haldimand/Norfolk Twilight Meeting)
- Haldimand Agricultural Awareness Committee (Agstravaganza)
Highlights Worth Noting
- The Haldimand Agricultural Awareness Committee used their funding for “Agstravaganza”. An event where students from grade 5 within Haldimand County and Mississauga’s of the Credit First Nation Schools got to experience everything about eggs, their production, and how the food gets from the farm to the table.
- The local 4-H chapter has incurred over $30,000 in expenses for their local programming. This money was raised by members and volunteers through donations. In the previous year’s costs have exploded for things like educational resources, livestock competitions, and facility fees. By providing the funding for 4-H the local chapter was able to continue their work with youth and inspire a new generation of agriculture lovers.
- Ag Day was a revived event for Hagersville 150 Anniversary. This event used to be run in the past, but with the lack of funding and volunteers the event was cancelled back in 1999. The Hagersville 150 Committee decided to bring back this old tradition with a one-day event where families could gather and experience everything agriculture has to offer. Livestock was on display, venders showed off their production practices, and everyone got to meet their local farmers.