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Massive Harvest Crew Gathers To Feed The Hungry
The old adage, "many hands make light work," couldn't be more true for volunteers in the Alberta farming communities of Leduc, Camrose and Ponoka. Area producers came together for three days, with 46 combines, 23 balers and more than 20 grain trucks, to reap an immense harvest of wheat, barley and canolaà all in suppor
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Massive Harvest Crew Gathers To Feed The Hungry SPECIALTY/SERVICES Specialty/Services 25-4-44 The old adage, "many hands make light work," couldn't be more true for volunteers in the Alberta farming communities of Leduc, Camrose and Ponoka. Area producers came together for three days, with 46 combines, 23 balers and more than 20 grain trucks, to reap an immense harvest of wheat, barley and canolaà all in support of the Canadian Food Grains Bank (CFGB), based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Christian charity's goal is to provide food for emergency hunger situations in developing countries.
Members of the three farming communities banded together to sponsor the cash rent of 250 acres at Leduc, 140 acres at Camrose and 175 acres at Ponoka. All grain and straw was sold, and an additional $10,000 in cash was gathered for a total of more than $130,000. When matched at four to one by Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), over $650,000 was raised for food aid.
After three years, the Ponoka CFGB project has grown so much that there's not enough work for everybody, according to coordinator, Peter Doornenbal. All of the seed, chemical and fertilizer needed for the projects was donated by local chemical, fertilizer and grain companies. Volunteers from the Camrose Rotary Club canvassed funds for their project through various drives. The Camrose Hutterite Colony got directly involved by adding to the army of combines and manpower. Other individual farmers and machinery dealerships provided combines, balers, trucks and labor to get the job done.
According to Leduc project coordinator Cor Abma, the hard times farmers are experiencing has made them want to help others even more, so finding willing participants in the growing project was not difficult.
The tangible result of the 2000 central Alberta projects is that 117,000 people were fed for 90 days, thanks to a healthy dose of compassion and the desire to "do God's will by feeding the hungry." It all happened in the amount of time it would take to enjoy a long weekend holiday, but for those who participated, it was much more satisfying.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Mary Thompson, BC/AB coordinator, Box 25063, Deer Park RPO, Red Deer, Alta., T4R 2M2 Canada (ph 403 348-0205, cell: 780 361-8508, fax: 403 348-0206, Website: www.foodgrainsbank.ca).
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