BARRHEAD – The Neerlandia/Vega Community Growing Project completed another harvest Oct 7 to provide funds for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB) in their quest to fight world hunger.
The crop of canola was on the same 216-acre field east of the Hamlet of Neerlandia owned by the Gelderman family that the growing project was on last year. The crop this year was a field of canola, combined as a standing crop. On harvest day, seven combines — five farmer owned and two dealer machines — lined up to take the crop off. Three grain carts, also farmer owned, were on hand to deliver the grain to five super ‘B’ grain trucks waiting at the south end of the field.
Troy Nanninga, chair of the project, had opened up the south end of the field with his combine a couple of days earlier to provide parking for the combines, trucks, and carts involved in the harvest and those who came to watch the annual event. He found the straw quite green, making it a bit difficult to harvest. Although the canola was still a bit tough, project secretary/treasurer Richard DeVries said the G3 Terminal at Morinville agreed to purchase the entire crop.
Nanninga led the combines into the field just before 1:30 p.m. and about four hours later, the harvest was finished. There were some problems getting the crop flowing smoothly through the machines at the start, but operators soon adjusted themselves and their machines to the conditions. Once the field was opened, it was found the best way to combine this crop was in an east-west direction, and the harvest went quite smoothly after that. DeVries indicated the crop averaged just a little over 40 bushels per acre this year.
He indicated last year, after all expenses were taken care of, the group were able to forward $93,000 to CFGB from the crop of wheat grown in 2021.
The original Neerlandia Growing Project for the CFGB began over 30 years ago. Then, after it quit for just a few years, a new generation of area producers formed the Neerlandia/Vega Growing Project and has been “growing strong” ever since.
The Canadian Foodgrains Bank was formed in 1983, with the mission to end world hunger. Today, it is a partnership of 15 church and church-based agencies working together to end global hunger. The members represent nearly 30 Christian denominations made up of over 12,000 individual congregations across Canada.
The Government of Canada has been an important partner of CFGB since it began and is one of two primary channels for the government’s funding for food assistance. Through this funding support, CFGB’s 15 member agencies leverage donations from individuals, churches and businesses up to a ratio of four-to-one for food assistance in the developing world, which is up to $25 million each year.
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