Investing in Building Bonds
Lifelong bonds are forged in childhood and the community of Oakville has taken a big step in making sure kids in the community have an opportunity to play together and stay together with the opening of the Oakville Early Learning Centre.
“One of the cool things about any small town is you grow up together and then you move through life together from there,” says Lindsey Brooks, board member of the Oakville Early Learning Center. “It’s really cool to see how the community came together to build this. Now the next generation is getting to use that opportunity.”
The daycare has spots for 40 children and is the product of several years of community fundraising and meticulous planning. As construction neared completion this past spring, efforts turned to outfitting the space with the necessary items to keep the kids engaged and meet provincial requirements.
“It's kind of a chicken and egg situation that we're trying to get everything lined up so that we could open, but we also have to have everything in order to receive any government funding,” says Brooks.
Through her work as an agronomist, Brooks was made aware of ADAMA Canada’s Stomping Grounds, a program the company created with the mandate to invest in local initiatives that support youth, health and connection. She applied for a grant and received word in April that their project was selected for a $5,000 investment to put towards equipment and supplies.
Andrew Kaminsky, Area Business Manager for ADAMA Canada, visited the daycare to deliver the “cheque” and to see the new space that would be providing much-needed support to families in Oakville and the surrounding area.
“Having access to childcare in small towns where agriculture is one of the primary employers is very important,” says Kaminsky. “Farmers work long hours, and sometimes even grandparents or older children are also chipping in on the farm. Therefore, it’s especially important for farm families to have ready access to reliable childcare.”
This importance was made clear by the waiting list for the daycare filling up almost immediately. Brooks and her husband both work in agriculture and she is thankful that through the hard work and generosity of the agriculture community, she now has a spot for her child.
“Sometimes small towns get a little looked over,” says Brooks. “It’s just great to see that ADAMA is putting funds into these small towns and rural initiatives. We’ve been fundraising for so long, and this kind of money makes a big difference.”
About ADAMA
ADAMA Canada has been supplying the Canadian agricultural community with crop protection products for more than a decade. We offer an innovative approach to ag and proactively seek opportunities to listen to what our customers, experts and colleagues have to say, taking their inputs and learning from their experience. We combine these insights with our expertise and respond with new products, solutions, services, tailored commercial policies, or information that is relevant to them. We are passionate about agriculture and approach what we do as much more than just a job. Our straightforward, get-it-done attitude helps us stay focused on what we care about most: helping our customers create more sustainable, profitable businesses. ADAMA is the seventh largest crop protection company globally with sales in 100 countries and has the largest portfolio of any company with over 270 active ingredients.