FCC AgriSpirit Fund accepting applications

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

Farm Credit Canada (FCC) is once again providing $500,000 through its AgriSpirit Fund to support capital projects in rural communities across the country.

The fund will be accepting applications for 2007 between May 1 and June 15. To be eligible, an organization must be set up for charitable purposes, be an agricultural society or be partnered with a municipal government that agrees to handle the financial management of the project.

The AgriSpirit initiative is one of the ways FCC works to enhance rural Canada and make life better for people in rural communities.

Grants of between $5,000 and $25,000 are available for community improvement projects involving construction, renovation and/or the purchase of necessary equipment. Examples include community centres, recreation centres, sports facilities, playgrounds, care homes, food banks and emergency service units.

To ensure it maintains its rural focus, FCC stipulates that the fund is only available to communities under 100,000 in population.

Clem Samson, the corporation’s Vice-President of Prairie Operations, said, “The commitment rural Canadian residents demonstrate to building their own communities is overwhelming. We received hundreds of applications this year requesting support for a wide range of projects. FCC is proud to help enhance rural Canada.”

Out of 719 applications received during FCC’s last call for applications, 52 projects from across Canada received funding. Twelve of the successful applicants are from right here in Saskatchewan, assisting all manner of community initiatives from fire departments to health centres to pools and rinks.

There is really no community too small to receive support. Saskatchewan communities that got help in the most recent round of funding are Hazlet, Eastend, Swift Current, Paradise Hill, Birch Hills, Osler, Estevan, Radville, Wood Mountain, Rouleau, Stockholm and St. Brieux.

“Since launching AgriSpirit in 2004, FCC has supported 130 projects with $1.3 million in funding,” said the corporation’s Senior Vice-President Kellie Garrett.

All applications are to be submitted online through the program’s website, www.agrispirit.ca, which also includes details about the fund’s eligibility criteria, application process, success stories and answers to some of the more common questions.

Headquartered in Regina, FCC is Canada’s largest provider of business and financial services to farms and agri-businesses.

For more information on the corporation and its operations, visit www.fcc-fac.ca.

For more information, contact:
Tim Kydd, Director of Corporate Communications
Farm Credit Canada
Phone: (306) 780-3486
E-mail: tim.kydd@fcc-fac.ca