Mid-Plains Implements commits $50k to Assiniboine’s Prairie Innovation Centre

Mid-Plains Implements has contributed $50,000 to Assiniboine’s campaign to expand agricultural training at the college. The campaign to build the Prairie Innovation Centre aims to support the demand for skilled and experiential agricultural training in Manitoba.

“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.

In Manitoba, it’s projected that one in five jobs in agriculture will go unfilled by 2025. The Prairie Innovation Centre is Assiniboine’s made-in-Manitoba solution.

“The college plays a critical role in strengthening the labour force by expanding traditional programming to meet current and emerging demands of the ag sector,” said Mark Frison, president at Assiniboine Community College.

The Prairie Innovation Centre will help answer the call for this developing sector and ensure this crucial contributor to the Manitoba economy can reach its full potential.

The Centre will be located on the college’s North Hill campus. The project aims to expand seats in agriculture, environment and related technology programs from less than 300 to more than 800 students to keep up with the needs of the growing sector.

“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.

The Prairie Innovation Centre campaign officially launched in fall 2020.

"Raising money for a worthy project becomes much easier when the people you approach see the value, but this process becomes self-driven when people are insightful enough to see the value in investing in not only the project but the positive effects in our community, in our province and in the future," said Barry LaRocque, owner of Atom-Jet Group, who is a member of the Prairie Innovation Centre campaign cabinet.

It is generous organizations like Mid-Plains Implements that are investing in our community and our future and we thank you.