Growing Community One Acre at a Time

Growing Community . . . One Acre at a Time

Melfort, SK (for immediate release) — The Prairie North Co-operative of today has a rich history that is rooted in agriculture. It was originally established in 1914 as the Melfort Grain Growers Co-operative Trading Association. Hampered by a lack of access to markets, area farmers decided to experiment with a purchasing co-operative to buy basic supplies and commodities.*

One way in which we honour our roots is through our commitment to supporting charitable “grow” field projects throughout Prairie North Co-op; in particular, those in Kelvington, Melfort, Naicam, and St. Brieux; with the donation of agriculture inputs and/or Co-op premium diesel fuel. Annually, those donations total over $25,000. The Kelvington community grow field and the Naicam Food Grains Bank field are two projects that we have supported for a number of years.

As we have grown our presence in the agriculture industry - serving our customers with the fuel, ag inputs and equipment - we have increased our support of community grow fields. In Melfort, for the last five years, Prairie North Co-op has supported the local Rotary Club; we are in our second year of supporting the Melfort Curling Club grow field; and we support the Melfort Mustangs grow field. Last year, when St. Brieux approached us with a request to provide Co-op premium diesel, we were quick to respond with a credit to a fuel account.

Community grow fields support local charities, for example, in the community of Kelvington, each year a crop is planted as a fundraiser for the Kelvington Ag Society, Bowling Alley, Curling Rink, Skating Rink and Swimming Pool. The crop inputs are donated – seed, fertilizer, chemical (if required), and fuel. And local farmers donate their time and equipment for each stage of the crop production – seeding, spraying, harvesting. In the example of Kelvington, Prairie North Co-op’s donation of between $6,000 and $10,000 each year results in an average of $50,000 to be split between the charities once the crop is sold.

“Each case and community is slightly different”, says Terry Tremblay, General Manager of Prairie North Co-op, “when it comes to the grow field projects, we work with the group organizing the grow field project to determine what they need and we do our best to provide it.”

Other ways in which our Community Giving Strategy directly supports our rural members and communities is through our sponsorship of local 4-H clubs and agricultural fairs and sports days.

*adapted from One Hundred Years of Co-operation, Collaboration and Innovation, 2014. Published by Prairie North Co-op Ltd.

For more information, or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Terri Larsen, Marketing and Communications Manager
Prairie North Co-op
C: 306.527.4792 | E: Terri.larsen@prairienorth.crs
W: www.prairienorthco-op.crs

ABOUT PRAIRIE NORTH CO-OP

Prairie North Co-op operates out of 25 locations – from St. Brieux, Spalding and Naicam in the west; to Melfort and Brooksby in the north; and Archerwill and Kelvington in the east. We serve our members with products and services that help build, feed, fuel and grow the communities in which we live and do business. As a co-operative, we are a different kind of business; we are not only working for our communities, but we are also owned by our community. Co-ops embed sustainability in their business by planning and investing for the long term, with the community and environment in mind; they work to create jobs; and they partner with other organizations and local businesses. Prairie North Co-op profits do not leave the community, they go back into it – and back to our members. We take pride in our community involvement and our commitment to providing quality products and services.

Prairie North Co-op employs 320 and serves 13,426 members. We continue the tradition of giving back through financial support to several local organizations. In 2024, sponsorship and donations totalled $148,295 to over 200 different organizations in our trading area. Locally invested. Community-minded. Lifetime membership benefits. We are Co-op.