The fence around Wloka Farms in Erickson started out as, well, just a fence. But it’s turned into something more: a message board that raises funds for a worthy cause.
For $25 a day (plus $5 for each additional day), messages commemorating birthdays, weddings, graduations and more are hung on the fence, with all proceeds going to the Therapeutic Riding Program operated by the Creston and District Society for Community Living.
“It is the most wonderful program in the world,” said Barb Wloka. “You see the progression and it’s marvelous.”
The fence surrounds the Wloka’s orchard of upright fruiting offshoots, and the messages were the suggestion of her daughter and son-in-law. They started out simply, and when Wloka’s sister, Anne Jackson, put up a sign to welcome Wloka home from a trip, an idea was sparked.
“I wondered if other people would like to do a personal message,” said Jackson.
The messages are created with flagging tape, and the sisters currently use two shades of green, yellow, pink, red, orange and white, with purple and mauve on their wish list.
Their work is divided fairly evenly, with Jackson creating the words and Wloka designing the artwork, which has included hearts, fruit and trees — most of which are usually recognizable.
“If I do a pear and somebody thinks it’s a squash, does it really matter?” Wloka joked.
“Her happy face I thought was a scary pumpkin,” added Jackson, and both laughed.
Over the year since starting the messages, the sisters have streamlined the work, with certain items (the words “grad”, “congrats”, “retirement” and “celebrate”, and numbers are a few examples) being reused, and switching from twist ties to alligator clips to attach the words and artwork to the fence.
Between bookings, they will add their own messages to make sure passersby have something new to look at.
“We’re really doing something totally different,” said Jackson. “People say they can’t wait to come around the corner and see what it says.”
To book a message on the Wloka Farms fence, contact Therapeutic Riding Program director Michelle Whiteaway at 250-402-6793 or mwhiteaway@hotmail.com.