October 15th, 2015 – Winnipeg, Manitoba –
The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) in partnership with Farm Credit Canada, has announced that more than $ 100,000 has been awarded to help improve training for tractors and machinery throughout Canada.
The Ag Safety Fund has provided charitable and nonprofit financial support to offer training programs based from the security and agricultural community since 2010. Previous projects have ranged from training for producers of Christmas trees in Nova Scotia that support bear-human conflict awareness training in Alberta. In this, the fifth year of Ag Safety Fund FCC, training efforts have been reduced to focus on the tractor and machinery training.
“Our commitment to helping our customers succeed starts with the basics – to help them and their families stay safe while working in the operation of the farm or agribusiness,” said Sophie Perreault, FCC Executive Vice President and Chief operations. “We are excited to partner with CASA to help make this a reality through Ag Safety Fund FCC.”
Marcel Hacault is the Executive Director of CASA. He says the community-based training is effective and important in the creation of safer farming practices. “The community-based Ag Safety Fund FCC approach addresses the needs of farmers at the grassroots level, creating more buy-in and ownership of safer behaviour,” he says. “CASA recognizes the importance of farm safety initiatives based on the community and is committed to creating safer for all Canadian farmers agricultural environments.”
The beneficiaries of the FCC Ag Safety Fund 2015-2016 include Quebec 4-H, L’Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA), Farm Safety Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island Federation of Agriculture, University of Manitoba, Wild Blueberry New Scotland, The Canadian Centre for Health Association (FARSHA), Manitoba 4-H Council Safety and Health in Agriculture, New Brunswick Young Farmers Forum Inc., Farm and Ranch and Security, and Canadian farmers with Disabilities Registry. 11 organizations receive support from the Fund FCC Ag Safety in seven provinces.
FCC is a long time supporter of CASA and farm safety initiatives. FCC has long supported the annual conference of CASA and Ag Safety Fund FCC. Last year, the FCC partnered with CASA and the Rick Hansen Foundation to launch Back to Ag, a program designed for farmers injured back to doing what they love – agriculture. This year, FCC is a sponsor of the Week of Canadian Agricultural Safety.
The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the health and safety of farmers, their families and agricultural workers.
FCC is the main lender of Agriculture Canada, with a healthy portfolio of more than $ 27.3 billion and 21 consecutive years of portfolio growth.