55 Years Strong: Clandonald Seed Plant Gets New Life

A familiar agricultural landmark in Clandonald has taken on a new look this summer, as the Clandonald Co-operative Seed Cleaning Plant completed a major exterior rejuvenation - the latest chapter in a history that stretches back 55 years.

After several years of discussions and status quos about refurbishing and renewing the aging exterior, the plant’s board unanimously made the decision to remove and replace the existing metal cladding.

Board chair Nathan Mathews helped spearhead the project alongside a board that Clandonald Co-operative Seed Cleaning Plant manager Mark Schommer describes as a blend of young, progressive farmers and decades of experience. Among those long-time contributors are Ray Wynnyk, with more than 38 years of knowledge and experience, and Susan Bardoel, whose years of financial guidance have helped steer the organization and its renovation project to the path of completion.

The construction contract was awarded to Border Construction, with owner and manager Kelsey Toews and his crew taking on what Schommer described as a major summer commitment.

Despite challenging weather and adjustments along the way, the crew continued working through the summer to bring the project to completion, giving the long-standing facility a dramatically refreshed exterior.

“Those incredible workers did an amazing job battling the crazy elements. Never giving up, making adjustments as needed and stuck to the plan seeing it to completion,” said Schommer.

The co-operative is also in the process of applying for grant funding which, if approved, would help offset some of the costs associated with the rejuvenation project.

While the renewed exterior may be what catches the eye today, the story behind the Clandonald plant reaches back to 1971, when area residents came together to establish the facility.

According to Schommer, construction of the plant was funded through an area canvass selling co-operative shares for $50 each.

The main plant was constructed using two-by-four and two-by-six bin-wall-style cribbing. The office and southeast corner of the original facility featured the old-style flat roofs common to the era, finished with tar and rock.

As agriculture changed and the needs of area producers grew, the plant changed along with them.

In 1990, a second driveway was constructed and an 80-foot scale was added, along with three overhead clean hopper bins and two overhead screenings bins. The additions increased capacity and helped streamline production at the facility.

A number of managers have overseen the operation during its 55 years of continuous seed cleaning, including Simon Bodurka, who managed the plant for approximately 20 years before leaving the position prior to Schommer’s arrival.

Schommer began at the plant in the fall of 2010 and trained under Al Mead, jumping “right in, feet first” as he learned the operation. During that time, the old seed-treating equipment was removed and plans were put in place to purchase and install a colour sorter, along with the rotary screw air compressor required to operate it.

Now with approximately 15 years at the facility himself, Schommer says he has experienced some of the most significant changes in the plant’s recent history.

The timing of the investment in the colour sorter would prove particularly fortunate.

The following fall, an ergot problem in wheat created significant demand for separation services. The Clandonald plant moved to double shifts, with Nick Coffee helping through the winter as producers brought grain through the facility.

Schommer remembers the plant cleaning approximately 500,000 through the separation process, in addition to another 300,000 of seed that year.

It was a memorable season for the plant, and the investment in the new technology quickly demonstrated its value.

“We paid for that sorter in one year,” Schommer recalled.

Modernization continued as both farm equipment and the demands placed on the plant changed.

In 2019, the plant’s existing 80-foot scale required immediate replacement. A new 90-foot scale was installed and lowered to provide better headroom for semi trucks, with the installation completed in 2020.

Approximately four years ago, another round of upgrades saw new indent and air-screen machines installed to replace aging equipment that had reached the end of its useful life.

Together, those changes tell a story that goes well beyond the building’s new exterior. Although the Clandonald facility was constructed more than half a century ago, generations of local producers and board members have continued to invest in it, adapting the plant to changing equipment, technology and the needs of the agricultural industry.

This summer’s exterior rejuvenation marks the latest investment in that history.

For Schommer, there is also something fitting about giving new life to a facility that was built to last.

He said he has been told the plant was constructed largely on solid rock, providing a firm foundation that should help carry the facility well into the future.

After 55 years, that foundation has supported more than a building. It has supported decades of seed cleaning, changing technology, generations of area farmers and countless stories shared along the way.

Now, with a renewed exterior, updated equipment and another generation of producers helping guide its future, the Clandonald Co-operative Seed Cleaning Plant is ready for its next chapter.

And despite all that has changed since 1971, one thing at the Clandonald plant remains decidedly old-fashioned.

“The coffee is always on. Feel free to stop in and have a tour or hear a story,” Schommer said.