The Arborg & District Growing Project had a tremendous harvest this year despite experiencing some drought conditions and donated close to $125,000 to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, which helps mitigate food insecurity in developing countries.
Bifrost-Riverton farmer Sid Dueck said the donation is a record high in the growing project’s decades-long history.
“It was an absolutely astounding canola crop. We got 48 bushels to the acre which resulted in 7,200 bushels,” said Dueck, who coordinates the project with a small committee. “What’s so astounding is that six weeks after seeding, we had barely gotten any rain. I thought for sure we’d have a complete crop failure because it was bone-dry and this was the driest area. This field got one tenth of an inch of rain after only six weeks.”
After the canola is sold, Dueck said the donation to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank will be very close to $125,000.
“This is the largest amount we’ve sent to the foodgrains bank,” he said. “Last year we broke a record with about $80,000. But this year we smashed that record.”
Farmers from the Arborg and Bifrost-Riverton areas brought eight combines and three grain trucks to the project’s growing site, north of Arborg, on Sept. 21 to reap the harvest.
“I want to thank all the participants for their great effort and making this come to pass. Without good support, it just wouldn’t be the same,” said Dueck. “I really appreciate the community support to be able to pull something like this off.”
The Arborg and District Growing Project began in 1989 has grown crops about 26 times over 34 years, he said. It was the first growing project in Manitoba for the foodgrains bank. They typically grow canola and wheat on a rotational basis, and they expect to plant wheat next year.
Gordon Janzen from the Canadian Foodgrains Bank said the proceeds from the Arborg growing project is “amazing,” and so important given climate change and severe drought in many countries in the global south.
“This means a lot to us. This represents a huge amount of support for our member agencies that are responding to hunger needs abroad,” said Janzen, who attended the Arborg harvest. “And these funds are then multiplied by a matching grant we get from the Canadian government.”
The Canadian Foodgrains Bank, which is celebrating it’s 40th anniversary this year, is an association of 15 national church agencies in Canada that respond to global hunger needs. It serves as a resource for those agencies, which work in 36 countries, he said. Farmers or groups of farmers pledge a part of their crop to the foodgrains bank. Manitoba has about 40 community projects that include crops, auctions and choir fundraisers.
“I started a beekeepers’ growing project this year,” said Janzen, who is a hobby beekeeper. “Traditionally, our growing projects have been focused around grain growing on the Prairies, but we have others like a choir and auction sales at a church. I’m inviting beekeepers across Manitoba to do this. I’m committing the proceeds of my hives to this project and inviting others to do the same. Because it’s the 40th anniversary of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, I’m hoping to get the proceeds of 40 hives into this project.”
Food security around the world is becoming more of a challenge especially with the effects of global warming, he said. It includes Canada, which has experienced some years of drought. But on continents such as Africa, drought conditions are worsening.
“The Horn of Africa is an example of these severe droughts that have gotten worse recently. We’re currently experiencing a period of about five years where there’s been virtually no rain in the horn, which includes countries such as Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya,” said Janzen. “This is affecting hundreds of thousands of people and displacing them from their lands. They’ve always experienced drought, but it’s becoming much more frequent and prolonged.”
At the other end of the climate crisis spectrum is severe flooding. Last year Pakistan experienced unusual monsoon rain and 30 million people were displaced because of it, he said.
“The foodgrains bank is responding to increased hunger crises. We are in a hunger crisis right now. Two of the main reasons are conflict and the weather extremes we’ve been seeing, so we’re responding in a lot of places where people have been displaced,” said Janzen. “Part of our response is emergency humanitarian relief to address the critical needs of people experiencing food insecurity. But another part is bolstering support for long-term agriculture to help people grow their own food and improve their food security for the long run.”
Janzen said the foodgrains bank is grateful to the individuals and community groups that support the organization. As hunger crises increase around the world, the bank has seen increased donor support and “we’re thankful for that.”
For more information about the Canadian Foodgrains Bank and growing projects, visit foodgrainsbank.ca
