Fund recipients announced

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

by SUSAN MANN

A farmers’ market association in Dunnville and a Public School in Lucknow are two of the 24 groups in rural Ontario to receive money for community projects as part of a Farm Credit Canada fund.

The Dunnville Farmers’ Market Association is getting $10,000 from the FCC AgriSpirit Fund toward construction of a new farmers’ market facility, while Brookside Public School in Lucknow is getting $12,500 for playground equipment.

Those two groups along with the other 22 in Ontario are sharing $256,250 in AgriSpirit funding while across Canada a total of $1 million was handed out to 90 rural communities for various capital projects to help improve residents’ quality of life. FCC announced the recipients Tuesday.

The projects to receive funding were chosen from 1,079 applications received nationally.

FCC has been handing out money for rural capital projects across Canada for nine years. Rural community groups can get $5,000 to $25,000 for community improvement projects, such as recreation and community centres, libraries and emergency services training facilities. To receive funding, selected groups must meet specific criteria before implementing their project and then finalize it by December 2014, FCC says in a Dec. 18 press release.

The fund supports much needed projects and celebrates the people responsible for making positive difference in the lives of those around them, the release says.

In Ontario, $1.8 million has been given to AgriSpirit projects during the past nine years, while across Canada it’s $6.5 million.

Applications for the 2013 AgriSpirit Fund will open in May 2013. More information and eligibility requirements are at: www.agrispirit.ca. BF