‘A network of generosity’ harvests crops for charity

Wind was blowing in the right direction for charity this month, says Betty Turner, as volunteers cut 160 acres of canola to fundraise to fight international hunger.

At her piece of land 10 miles from Killarney, more than a hundred people gathered to harvest crops. Turner said everything went right on the recent Saturday, as even the wind blew dust and chaff away from the crowd on the farm property as combines cut the canola.

It was part of a Canada Foodgrains Bank harvest day for a community growing project — one of many across Manitoba — which grows food and sells it to raise money for charity. The proceeds are donated to buy food and provide training to places experiencing hunger worldwide.

“It was unbelievable really,” said Turner, a farmer who has retired but rented her land out for the charity grow this season. “We have 17 combines show up. And three grain carts and four semi trucks. And about 150-plus people came to help us celebrate.”

Turner said more than 150 people gathered at her property, where pulled pork was served, also by volunteers. Some operated combines on the field, while the wind blew the resulting dust and chaff away from the group that had set up a lunch area nearby — making a picture-perfect day in her eyes.

“The sense of community is really hard to explain.”

Regional representative for the foodbank, Gordon Janzen, said it’s valuable time for people to give up to help people across the world who they may never meet.

“What I think is amazing is the fact that farmers and businesses set aside their own harvests during a busy time and they go to this community project to raise support for people who experience hunger. So they’re really giving up a lot. Not only financially, but time,” he said.

“The community spirit, all of that, I call it a network of generosity … It’s magic. They do it year after year. That’s the incredible thing.”

He said the event is a testament to good spirit and community across Manitoba – Killarney was just one of about 41 community growing projects this year. The local organizing committee finds land, he said, and they will organize for someone to seed it and find fertizilier and do all of the input to lay the groundwork for a harvest in the fall.

It accumulates into a significant charitable effort. He told the Sun there are several areas around the world which receive help from the foodgrains bank charity.

“There’s quite a few in Africa, Asia, and the Americas have fewer places. But I think especially we have programs where people have had to flee because of conflict. So we have programs in Gaza, refugees in Syria and Lebanon, refugees in Sudan but also in south Sudan and Chad.”

The goal is to provide emergency food assistance but also to provide training in hunger-stricken areas so that the locals become more productive and the cycle of hunger is abated.

The harvest and selloff phase of the charity drive comes around in the fall each year, all at once, making for a busy time for volunteers and organizers.

“We’ve had a busy week now. I’ve been going for almost a week straight. Growing projects almost every day. But I think by early next week, most of the growing projects will be finished,” said Janzen, the week of Sept. 13.

Janzen tours Manitoba to visit many harvests. The trip took him all around Winnipeg, and to Killarney earlier this month.

When asked why she thought it important to use her land for this purpose, Turner said it came down to a trip she took.

Having visited Ethiopia to witness hunger, Turner said it changed her perspective and convinced her to get involved and commit her farmland. She took this trip as a learning tour through the foodbank, which educates people on where their charitable work is making a difference.

“If you’ve ever seen somebody who’s not just hungry, but requires food to survive … that journey changes you … You can be poor, but it’s totally different to be hungry or starving,” she said.

“I wanted to bring back their story. You need to be an advocate. I believe that part of our responsibility is to share their story, because they’re not able to.”

The Canada Foodgrains Bank is a Christian charity partnership of 15 Canadian churches and church-based agencies working to end global hunger. It was founded in 1983, and now provides emergency food assistance and development support in over 30 countries.

Besides growing and selling food to raise money, the charity also accepts donations.