b"SEED PLANTCommunityHelping CommunityThe Manning Co-operative Seed Cleaning Plant may be older, but the community is working together to upgrade and keep it going.WHEN IT COMES to the Manningenthusiastic to try and keep things going. Co-operative Seed Cleaning Plant, itShes really good at keeping up the wouldnt exist if it wasnt for those inmaintenance and cleaning, and really the community stepping up. When thegood with customers, Schmidt says in a plant needed a new manager, Darlenephone interview.Friesen stepped up, and when theySchmidt joined the board of the plant needed new board members, Lindain 2013, at the time they were looking Schmidt stepped up. for new members. Schmidt and her I love my job. I just love associatinghusband Ed were regular customers with the farmers and they've got lots ofof the plant and attended the annual good old stories they tell and I just lovegeneral meetings of the seed cleaning it, Friesen says in a phone interview.cooperative.Friesen has worked as the plantThey were kind of struggling to get manager for eight years. She mainlyinterest for people to be board members. works by herself, and during busy timesAnd wed also go into the meetings like she will get helpa local man Bobthe annual meeting. So I was interested Ressler will come in and work with her. Plant worker Bob Ressler stands at the entrance toin trying to help out, she explains.The plant located in Manning, Alta.the Manning Co-operative Seed Cleaning Plant.Schmidt now serves as the boards cleans peas, wheat, barley, and oats. OnePHOTOS: MANNING SEED CLEANING PLANT secretary and has taken an interest in year Friesen cleaned some rye, whichkeeping the plant running for future was a new experience. The plant onlygenerations. She even reached out to cleans seed/grain and is open fromthe provincial archives in order to learn September till May, although Friesenmore about the history of the plant. will clean the odd load of grain if askedIve gotten some stuff from the Alberta during the off-season. archives here a while ago, the stuff that During the 2019-2020 growing seasonhad been filed years ago, like who was the Manning Seed Plant cleaned overthe original directors and presidents and 300,000 bushels of grain. stuff from way back, Schmidt says. It Every year Ive been here Ive gotten awas really interesting to see the people little bit more, and a little bit more, andand what all they had done to try and get a little bit more every year weve hadit going and keep it going.a lot of customers coming back, FriesenThe Manning Seed Plant has been explains. operating for more five decades having Friesen has become popular withbeen built in 1969. Since then various the customers over the years, havingboards have been formed with people forged relationships making for repeatfrom the community stepping up to keep customers.Plant manager Darlene Friesen stands at thethe plant running. When Darlene came on board, itentrance to the Manning Co-operative SeedFor the locals keeping the plant was really good because shes reallyCleaning Plant.running is important, otherwise theyd 44seed.ab.ca"