Boyup Brook’s first community crop has been harvested. (ABC Great Southern: Mark Bennett)
In short:
A crop grown to help raise funds for a country town’s upgraded sports facilities has been harvested.
Farmer Charles Caldwell says the yield exceeded expectations.
What’s next?
The community hopes it will have the facilities built in the next 18 months.
People power has succeeded in the WA farming town of Boyup Brook with the harvest of its first community crop.
Farmers Simon Purse and Charles Caldwell donated land to the project, with funds from the canola and barley crops going to rebuilding and upgrading decades-old sport facilities.
Mr Caldwell, who helped plant the crop earlier in the year, said the quality of the barley harvested earlier this month was exceeding expectations.
Charles Caldwell was among farmers who donated land to the community crop program. (ABC South West: Kate Forrester)
“Every tonne we harvest today is going to go towards sport and rec in the town and improve things in Boyup Brook,” he said.
Plans revealed
The designs to upgrade the existing facilities are on display at the sporting fields.
Boyup Brook Sport and Recreation Association president Tara Reid said inclusivity was at the forefront of the planning.
Tara Reid is excited about the design of the new facilities. (ABC South West: Kate Forrester)
“This is currently the football clubrooms, but it will become the sporting clubrooms, everyone will have a space,” Mrs Reid said.
“The change rooms are going to be upgraded so they become gender-neutral.
“It’s going to make people more comfortable in the area.”
Sports facilities are set for an upgrade in Boyup Brook. (ABC South West: Kate Forrester)
Ms Reid said the combination of money raised from the community crop and potential grant funding would make the plans become reality sooner rather than later.
“We’re hoping we will hear back from our grant funding in the new year, we’ve got our plans sorted and documentation for tenders,” Mrs Reid said.
“So we are hoping in 18 months we will have something we can call our own.”
Residents say the facilities haven’t been upgraded for decades. (ABC Great Southern: Mark Bennett)
Communities grow
Reserving paddocks to help fund community projects is not an idea reserved to Boyup Brook.
Regional towns over the state have grown and managed crops for fundraising efforts for decades.
Farmers come together in Tambellup each year to fundraise for local projects. (Supplied: Jack Batchelor)
The Great Southern shire of Tambellup, about 145 kilometres south east of Boyup Brook, recently harvested a crop and reinvested profits into the town.
Mike Batchelor has been helping out with the Tambellup harvest since the initiative started in 2013.
“It started off pretty casual with a couple of blokes, now today we’ve got nine headers here, about the same amount of chaser bins,” Mr Batchelor said.
Tambellup farmers have raised funds through a community crop initiative. (Supplied: Jack Batchelor)
“I’ve grown up here all my life and one thing about Tambellup is its strength in coming together for others.”
Money raised from the Tambellup crop in the past has gone to a community bus and renovating the local golf club kitchen.
