Assiniboine College’s campaign to expand its agriculture training capacity got an influx of cash in late February.
“Manitoba’s economy is based in agriculture, and our company deals directly with the needs of agricultural producers,” said Fokko Buurma, owner and sales manager at Mid-Plains Implements. “The Prairie Innovation Centre will ultimately give back to the economy and help local industry production, so it’s important that we get involved.”
Mid-Plains Implements, a Manitoba-based potato equipment and irrigation company, contributed $50,000 toward the college’s Prairie Innovation Centre.
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The centre will be built on Assiniboine College’s North Hill campus. The centre will allow the college to expand its agriculture training and related technology programs to more than 800 students from less than 300.
The Prairie Innovation Centre campaign launched in fall 2020 in response, the college said, to a deficit of agriculture workers in Manitoba.
“We’ve been fortunate to see the benefit of Assiniboine’s agriculture training first hand as all of our employees have come through Assiniboine at one time or another. So, supporting this project to expand ag training locally is the perfect fit for us,” said Buurma.
