Farmers use insurance company lands to raise funds for food banks

In the spring of this year, a group of farmers, who also sit on Axiom Mutual Insurance’s Board of Directors, planted 40 acres of beans outside Axiom’s headquarters near Zurich.

“There's a number of us on the board that are farmers, and that's what we do. We grow food. We saw there's a need out in the community, so we thought, well, what better cause and what better effect can you have than growing some food and donate it to the food banks?” said David Bolton, Axiom board member and area farmer.

For the past few years, farmers on Axiom’s Board of Directors have set aside a few acres of their own crops and used the proceeds to donate to local food banks. This year, those farmers used 40 acres of land surrounding Axiom’s headquarters in Zurich to grow soybeans and donate the proceeds to three local food banks.

They raised $30,000 from the proceeds of the beans and secured donations of another $15,000 for a total of $45,000 for local food banks.

“It's really easy to just say, ‘Here's some money,’ and it's out of mind. This keeps it in the forefront the entire season, the entire year, actually,” said farmer and Axiom board member Robert Pertschy.

Axiom Mutual Insurance Board of Directors and Director’s Cut organizers meet with Mary Ellen Zielman from the Huron County Food Distribution Centre on Dec. 18, 2024. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)

The farmers and Axiom board members planted and harvested the crop with their own tractors and equipment. Local agricultural companies donated the inputs and Axiom staff donated time and effort, even picking stones from the field throughout the year.

“We are contributing to the need in a greater way because we're watching it grow right out here, outside our windows,” said Melanie O’shea, Axiom Mutual Insurance marketing analyst.

The Huron County Food Distribution Centre, and food banks in Ailsa Craig and Strathroy will split the $45,000 raised through the “Director’s Cut” project. It couldn’t come at a better time as food bank use across rural Ontario skyrockets.

“We cannot expect Toronto or Ottawa or anywhere else to come in and solve all of those needs. This is our opportunity to do that. It really is in our DNA. This is why we exist,” said Axiom Mutual Insurance President Shawn Durnin.

Axiom Mutual Insurance Board of Directors grew 40 acres of soybeans at their Zurich headquarters, and donated $30,000 in proceeds to three area food banks on Dec. 18, 2024. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)

“It's very important, because right now the food banks are really suffering. And when this was proposed to start with, I thought it was a great idea,” said Axiom board member and farmer John Coleman.

“The connection between where their product or finances are going to help to feed other people. I don't think anybody understands that better than farmers,” said an appreciative Mary Ellen Zielman, who runs the Huron County Food Distribution Centre near Centralia.

Zielman can expect more support from the “Director’s Cut” next year, with 40 acres of wheat already in the ground outside Axiom headquarters near Zurich.

“Once the soybeans were harvested, we planted winter wheat right afterwards. That will be next year's harvest. And the proceeds will once again be distributed,” said area farmer and Axiom Board Chair Bill Gibson.