Visitors to Melville’s Heritage Museum will notice soon notice upgrades to the facility thanks to the support of the Bayer Fund. The Melville Heritage Museum has been awarded $2,500 through the 2018 Canada’s Farmers Grow Communities (CFGC) program to upgrade the museum’s Farm Tool Room.
“We serve a large surrounding area and the museum helps improve tourism in Melville,” said Donna Mucha, secretary of the museum’s board. “When I found out that the museum had won the grant, I was filled with a mix of gratitude and a bit of disbelief.”
With support from the Bayer Fund, the museum will improve the exhibit in the museum’s Farm Tool Room through the installation of secure display cabinets for the artifacts. One of the oldest buildings in Melville, the Melville Heritage Museum houses a collection of more than 10,000 artifacts in 22 exhibits, spanning three floors. These exhibits tell the story of Melville, its history, and its residents.
The Canada’s Farmers Grow Communities program is aimed at strengthening rural communities by equipping local non-profit organizations with funds to carry out much needed community work. The aim is for farmers to help improve the lives of many people living in rural communities.
“Bayer recognizes the value of having thriving rural communities across Canada,” said Trish Jordan, Director of Public & Industry Affairs at Bayer CropScience. “The Melville Heritage Museum showcases the important role agriculture has played in Saskatchewan’s history and we are proud to support upgrades that will allow it to continue to educate visitors for years to come.”
Donna Mucha believes that organizations should take advantage the CFGC grant to improve their communities and has already been sharing the museum’s experience with others.
“As a non-profit organization, we rely solely on grants, donations, and our small fundraisers,” added Mucha. “This is one of the largest amounts we have ever received, and I think most people are surprised when they find out that a grant like this exists.”
The Bayer Fund, the philanthropic arm of Bayer, has funded the Canada’s Farmers program to provide a total of 66 grants, each valued at $2,500, to charitable and not-for-profit groups nominated by farmers. For
