Harvest weather is an answer to prayer for farm communities

Oct 5, 2010 | 10:33 AM

PA Now Staff

Farming communities are seeing a few less people in town these days, but it’s a good thing for the businesses.

Gord Mamer, director of economic development in Tisdale said the town is excited that farmers have been able to get in some of the harvest.

“Like many rural Saskatchewan towns, agriculture has a trickle-down effect to our local businesses and what’s being spent and no matter what we do, farming always has to be number one,” said Mamer.

Leonard Margolis, mayor of Kinistino, said farming is nearly completed in the Kinistino area.
“It’s been so quiet in town because everyone has been so busy,” he said.

“From what I’ve been told by some of the farmers the crops are lower than average but maybe a little better then (what was) initially expected.”

Margolis said he guesses it’s the same story in many farming communities, since this round of good weather for harvest.

Businesses in many of these communities rely on the finances brought in by a successful farm year. The more harvest that comes in, the better it is for business.

According to Allan Bzdell, mayor of Birch Hills, everyone in town is a little more positive, but there is still that underlying urgency finish the harvest.

“For the few farmers (that) I’ve been talking to, you could tell that they were concerned,” he said.
A report by Statistics Canada says Saskatchewan is seeing the country’s biggest drop in wheat production from last year and the province is among the lowest for canola production.

sfroese@rawlco.com