Hensall Co-op and its employees are thrilled to announce the recipients of the third annual Hensall Co-op Strong Communities Initiative, a program dedicated to supporting initiatives that make a positive impact on rural communities. This year, two exceptional organizations have been chosen to receive the top grants totaling $20,000, with an additional $10,000 being split between 5 well deserving organizations.

The Portage District General Hospital Foundation, located in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, has been selected as one of the grant recipients. They will receive $10,000 in funding to aid in the ongoing development of a state-of-the-art hospital. This initiative will bring much-needed high-quality healthcare services to the residents of Portage la Prairie and the surrounding communities, ensuring that they have access to healthcare of the highest standard.

Additionally, the Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health, based in Goderich, Ontario, has been granted $10,000 to support Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training. MHFA equips individuals with the knowledge, skills, and resources necessary to promote a better understanding of mental health. This training will empower community members to effectively respond to mental health crises, fostering a healthier and more supportive environment for all.

Brad Chandler, CEO of Hensall Co-op, expressed his enthusiasm for these grants: "We received an overwhelming number of applications that highlighted the pressing need for funding in rural communities. Hensall Co-op is both proud and honoured to give back to organizations that play a vital role in supporting our members, customers, and communities."

With the strong need in the community, Hensall Co-op has also awarded each of the following organizations with a $2,000 grant:

• Palmerston and District Hospital Foundation – MRI Campaign (Palmerston, ON)
• Municipality of Arran-Elderslie – New Paisley Firehall (Chelsey, ON)
• Tanner Steffler Foundation – TSF Youth Hub (Clinton, ON)
• Koko Platz Recreation Club – Clubhouse Rebuild (Portage la Prairie, MB)
• Seaforth Community Hospital Foundation – StepOne machine (Seaforth, ON)

The Hensall Co-op Strong Communities Initiative seeks to provide one-time grants to projects that address critical needs within communities, with a particular focus on initiatives aligned with Community Health and Healthy Living. Grants of $10,000 are awarded to projects completed by not-for-profit entities that are registered with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) as charities and have been in operation for over 12 months.

Hensall Co-op remains committed to strengthening rural communities across Canada and looks forward to witnessing the positive impact of these grants on the Portage la Prairie and Goderich communities.

Hensall Co-op is happy to announce that our 4th annual Photo Contest is now open for submissions.

We encourage everyone to enter!

Prizes:

• First Place: $500 Yeti package (1 prize available)
• Category Winner: $150 cash for each category (3 prizes available)

Categories:

• Farmer’s Best Friend
• Hardest Worker on the Farm
• Farming Views

Eligibility:

• Entrants must own the rights to the image(s) they submit
• The contest is open to all members, customers and employees of Hensall Co-op

Application Form

Contest Rules

Application Deadline: September 30, 2023

Please send any questions to marketing@hdc.on.ca.

Hensall Co-op is proud to have taken part in the Huron Manufacturing Bus Tour on May 4, 2023. These tours create an opportunity for local high school students from Huron and Perth County to see and experience different career opportunities that are available. 

Watch Video Here

Hensall, Ontario, Canada - February 7th, 2023

Hensall Co-op Enters New Seed Distribution Agreement with

Syngenta Seeds

Hensall Co-op has entered into a new agreement with Syngenta Seeds IP high-protein soybean distribution. This agreement, which is effective beginning the 2024 growing season, offers benefits directly to IP soybean growers as well as global end use customers. This agreement will give the entire supply chain the tools needed to achieve a higher level of success as a food ingredient industry. Put simply, it offers a full, value-added supply chain of growing, processing, marketing, and distributing Syngenta high-protein soybean varieties in conjunction with grower and end-use customer communications, seed forecasting and traceability for farm members and the end-use markets served by Hensall Co-op.

Read Full Press Release

Thank you to everyone who entered our third Hensall Co-op photo contest. Our judges were impressed with the quality as well as the variety of the submissions received.

We thank all participants and hope you will take part in our next photo contest. Remember, we will require photos from all seasons so keep those cameras snapping! 

We will be in touch with our winners in the next week to co-ordinate delivery of your prizes.

Congratulations to our 2022 photo contest winners!

First Place - Sarah Kiar, "Grow"

Prize: Yeti package valued at $500

Runner Up - First

Max Kraft, "Best Friends

Prize: $150

Runner Up - Second

Gerry O'Reilly, Untitled

Prize: $150

Video Category

Winner 

Annemarie Kraft, "Team Work"

Prize: $150

Honourable Mentions

Adam Thompson, "It's Go Time"

Prize: $50

Jane McCutcheon, "Hensall Combines"

Prize: $50

Bryan Smith, "Class Combine Training"

Prize: $50

Hensall Co-op is pleased to announce our 2022 Bright Futures Scholarship program is available. The purpose of the scholarship is to provide post-secondary assistance to students who are entering their first year of post-secondary education and have shown a career interest in agriculture or a field or trade that will advance rural communities and economies.

Up to three scholarships of $2,500 each will be awarded to students who are children or grandchildren of individuals who were a member of Hensall Co-op as of March 1 of the year of application, individuals who had a controlling interest in an entity that was a member as of that date or a Hensall Co-op employee as of the date of application. Full details and application are available through this link:

Bright Futures 

To be considered for a Scholarship, applicants must complete an application and submit it to Hensall Co-op (marketing@hdc.on.ca) by August 1st of the year of application. 

The judges were impressed with the submissions, both in quality of the images and how the contestants followed the guidelines for each category. We thank all participants and hope you will take part in our next photo contest. Remember, we will require photos from all seasons so keep those cameras snapping!

Thank you to our judges Nancy Taylor from Cranberryblewe Graphic Design and Illustration, Kent Schubert from GBB Inc. Management Consultants and Reta Byvelds from Hensall Co-op.

And here are the winners ... 

Best in Show Jaleesa Alderdice Her winning image is on the cover of our 2020 Annual Report and Jaleesa wins a Yeti package valued at $500.
Reserve Best in Show   Tory Struyf "Rhett, Evie and Wes"   Tory receives a $350 Yeti Package for Reserve and also won the Going with the Grain category.

FEEDING ONTARIO:
First Place - $100 Betty Ann Kerrigan	Second Place - $50 Jill Sebben Boys in the Barn	Third Place - $25 Jill Sebben Chickens in the Barn
FIELD FUN:
First Place: $100 Jaleesa Alderdice This image was selected for the billboard in Hensall for 2021.	Second Place - $50 Lindsey Roosendaal "Jack, Ellen and Molly"	Third Place - $25 Betty Ann Kerrigan "Jumpstart to the Day"
FULL OF ENERGY:
First Place - $100 Leigh Winston	Second Place - $50 Karen Dumais Under the Rainbow	Third Place - $25 Karen Dumais Fuel for Thought
GOING WITH THE GRAIN:
First Place - $100 Tory Struyf This photos was also  Best in Show Reserve	Second Place - $50 Annemarie Kraft	Third Place - $25 Jane Zilke
KEEP ON TRUCKING:
First Place - $100 Maggie Thompson	Second Place - $50 Max Kraft	Third Place - $25 Annemarie Kraft
PLANT PROTEIN:
First Place - $100 Jaleesa Alderdice This image also won Best In Show	Second Place - $50 Karen Dumais Scalehouse	Third Place - $25 Tory Struyf