Canadian Foodgrains Bank using barley harvest to aid East Africa amid hunger crisis

Farmers harvest a crop near Coaldale, Alta. for The Canadian Foodgrains Bank on Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023.

The Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFB) hosted its annual barley harvest on Tuesday at a field just outside Coaldale, Alta.

The non-profit organization is a partnership of 15 Canadian churches and church-based agencies that work together to achieve long-term solutions to end world hunger.

"Today is a really wonderful day. It's one of 30-plus projects we have around Alberta where groups of farmers are getting together, finding a field, growing a crop and monetizing that crop," said Ary Vreeken, the Alberta representative for CFB.

Profits from Tuesday's harvest will go toward supporting those suffering amid the hunger crisis in East Africa.

Last year, the Coaldale harvest raised over $200,000.

"People in Coaldale and southern Alberta are extremely generous," Vreeken said. "We're very thankful for that, because that's what allows us to do the work overseas. Without projects like this, we would not be able to work overseas."

Aside from the farmers working to harvest the crop, ta crowd of more than 200 people gathered at the site Tuesday to watch and donate to the cause.

"We anticipate we'll harvest about 440 metric tonnes of barley here today," said Larry Penner, a volunteer on the Coaldale-Lethbridge Foodgrains project board.

"We have 11 trucks to remove the grain off the field, we have 18 combines parked here, so it's not going to take very long."

Farmers and machine operators at the harvest said they were more than happy to donate their time and equipment for the cause.

"The farming community has always been supportive in southern Alberta, it's just really good to see," said Vanee Farm Centre sales manager Michael Vas.

Attention will now shift focus to planning next year's crop, including the task of finding a new field to rent.  

According to the CFB, their Alberta efforts raised over $4.4 million last year.

Nationally, the non-profit raised $22 million.