It could be the first time in history that a Golf Club plants crops to help with their finances, and what Wayne White thinks is a smart idea.
Donating the use of his own land, and selling raffle tickets to help buy the seeds, plant and harvest the crops, the proceeds will go directly towards covering the cost of last years floods to the golf course that destroyed three bridges. A total debt to the Golf course now at about 150,000.
White figures if he can grow and sell a crop of canola at about 40 bushels for 10 dollars or more, and he farms about 143 acres of his land, he should be able to make about 60-70 thousand dollars a year for two years to cover the debt.
White had reported the damages to the golf course to the provincial government’s Disaster financial Assistance board to initially cover the costs, but the board didn’t get back to him in the last year with a response to his application. The Golf Club built the bridges with some good credit, thinking they would be paid back, but they may not be. That’s when White thought up the farming idea.
Local supporters can purchase a ticket from White for the support of the golf course and its farming effort to be able to keep the golf course running, which can be a tough job with things like natural disasters around. The non-for profit golf course will need to break even to remain open.
Anyone who purchases a ticket has the opportunity to win $5000 cash if his or her ticket is drawn. White thinks he’ll likely invite all the ticket holders out to the golf course once it’s opened for an event to draw the winner.
