Canadian Foodgrains Bank | Farmers volunteer time, labour and land, contributing to more than 100 projects in Western Canada
Fred Preston of Rosemary, Alta., got up early May 15, as he does every day during seeding time and maybe all other days, too.
But on that particular day, he was helping seed 110 acres of flax on one of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank’s newest growing projects in Alberta.
It is the Newell Foodgrains Growing Project, one of 34 in Alberta and one of more than 102 projects across the Prairies.
Farmers donate use of land, their time and labour to seed crops. Proceeds from sale of the harvested commodities are donated to the CFB.
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In 2013, slightly less than half of the CFB’s $11.9 million in proceeds across Canada came from growing projects and grain donations.
Preston said the Newell project’s goals are threefold.
“Canadian Foodgrains Bank is about more than raising money to feed hungry people,” he said.
“It is also about building community and raising awareness of world hunger. Those are three objectives we are trying to achieve with this project.”
Terence Barg, a CFB regional co-ordinator in Alberta, said community involvement is typical of growing projects and certainly true for the Newell group.
“They are very strong supporters and have also garnered a lot of community support, which is great to see. It’s not just a few farmers doing it. It’s a community effort, for the most part,” said Barg.
“It’s a combination of local businesses taking part, donating money to cover input costs or cover meals for fundraisers or local churches getting involved in fundraisers …or local farmers donating time and equipment and also product, whether it’s seed or inputs.”
Most Alberta CFB projects have been running for years, although Newell and two other groups are new to the fold this year, said Barg.
Farmers will be donating crop proceeds from more than 4,600 acres in the province in a geographic spread from Foremost and Medicine Hat in the south to La Crete in the north.
CFB commitment is also strong in Saskatchewan, where regional co-ordinator Dave Meier said 33 growing project volunteers will farm slightly more than 4,000 acres this year.
Canola, wheat, durum and lentils are the major crops planted this year. Some Saskatchewan projects have been running for more than 15 years on the same land, so crop rotation determines what is grown in a given year.
Meier estimated that each growing project involves at least 20 volunteers, so the commitment and contribution are substantial.
“They’re spread all over the province and every project is different,” he said.
Harold Penner, CFB regional co-ordinator for Manitoba, said farmers in his province will seed more than 5,000 acres in 40 growing projects this year, from Swan River in the north to Steinbach in the south.
“I think last year we had nine different crops. (This year) it’s not all in yet, so we don’t know, but wheat for sure, winter wheat, oats, soybeans, some corn. We have an alfalfa field that will just be baled off. And we have some rye this year. It’s a whole variety of things,” Penner said.
“Things are looking good and growing conditions so far are good. If we can just get the seed in the ground, we should be off to a good start.”
The federal government matches funding for CFB projects at a rate of four to one. Penner said that works on a project basis rather than a multiple from commodity sales.
“The money is actually matched on the project side, not on the income side.”
For example, if a CFB project in South Sudan is estimated to cost $1 million, the charity would contribute $250,000 and the federal government would put in the balance.
Up to $25 million per year in matching funds are available from the federal government, said Penner.
CFB targets projects that are designed to help end hunger in the undeveloped world.
A news release from the Newell group speaks of Ramatou Malon Hassan, a widow and mother of 12 from Niger who has received food rations through a CFB supported project.
Food for her family is made possible through the work of Canadian farmers.
Preston said helping people who don’t have what Canadians have is a key goal, one his committee hopes will be taken up elsewhere.
“Our committee is hoping that another group of farmers in a different area of the County of Newell will take up the torch next year and do a growing project — hopefully a different community every year.”
The CFB is a partnership of 15 Canadian churches and church-based agencies working to end global hunger.
