b'SEED PLANTBuilding a New Plant to Keep Up with the Changing TimesThe Camrose County Seed Cleaning Plant recently opened the doors to a brand new, modern plant. A LOT HAS CHANGEDsince the Camrose County Seed Cleaningthird of the construction costs with the rest being covered by the Plant was built. Where grain trucks were once used to haul grainlocal municipal government. Through the countys Agricultural and seed, its now all hauled by large semis. Seed cleaning systemsService Board, it has operated the plant since it was first built. are now run through computer programssomething that didntIn 1963, a new plant was built and opened. Over the years exist when the original plant was built. So its not too surprising theupgrades and expansions were made to the plant with new services team at the Camrose Seed Cleaning Plant decided to build a newadded such as seed cleaning and separation services. Operations plant that could keep up to the changing times. continued at this plant until construction on the new, and now Farmers kind of outgrew us being right inside Camrose. Goingcurrent, plant were completed in December 2022. from a plant that was built back in the day when single axles wereThe idea for the new plant was first thought up in 2019. At that the truck of choice to super Bs, and sharing a lot with the Battletime Van Petten and the county Chief Administrative Officer Paul River School Division with all the school buses, traffic was aKing along with the Agricultural Service Board approached the nightmare, Murray Van Petten, Camrose County Seed Cleaningcounty council with the idea for the new plant. They had done Plant manager, explains in a phone interview. the initial planning work which included picking a potential new The Camrose County Seed Cleaning Plant was originally builtlocation on county land, and a budget plan for it with a five-year in 1948. At the time, the community realized the need for grainconstruction timeline.cleaning services in the region and had started out two years earlierI was ecstatic that we were planning to build the seed cleaning cleaning and storing grain in the old army drill hall. From there,plant. Thered been some slight discussions and stuff, Cindy the plans for the plant were made and a $10,000 grant from theTrautman, current Camrose County reeve and a councilor in 2019, province was received to build the plant. says in a phone interview. The seed old seed plant was located in From the start, Camrose County owned and operated the plant.quite a congested area. So the plans started and thoughts were there The intial $10,000 provincial government grant accounted for aand council was 100 per cent behind the idea.The new Camrose County Seed Cleaning Plant which opened in early 2023. PHOTO: CAMROSE COUNTY SEED CLEANING PLANT40seed.ab.ca'