“We are reaching out to Canadians and asking them to please give generously,” says CFGB executive director Jim Cornelius.

The prolonged drought, which affects about 14 million people in southern Africa, and another 10 million in Ethiopia, is a consequence of the most powerful El Niño event in recent history.

The World Food Program and the United Nations say the countries most affected by the drought include Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi, Swaziland and Ethiopia; all will need food assistance this year.

As well, about one million children are in need of treatment for severe acute malnutrition in eastern and southern Africa.

“People are suffering,” said Cornelius. “They are watching as the time to plant comes and goes with no rainfall, or watching the crops they did manage to plant wither and die.”

Through its members — World Renew, World Relief Canada, Mennonite Central Committee Canada and Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada — CFGB is responding.

To date, we have committed over $2.5 million for relief projects, but more help is needed.

“The time to provide assistance is now, before photos of hungry children begin appearing on our screens,” says Cornelius, noting that African countries are doing what they can to mitigate the crisis.

“But if we wait until then, for many it will be too late.”

People who want to make a donation in support of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank African Drought response can go to: http://foodgrainsbank.ca/donate-now/ or send a cheque to Box 767, Winnipeg, Man. R3C 2L4, or call 1-800-665-0377.

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You have the Grow Hope community growing project in Manitoba, an effort to raise funds for the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) account in Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB).

The project, which invited people in the province to sponsor an acre on the farm of Grant and Colleen Dyck in Niverville, south of Winnipeg, raised $59,278 — enough to provide for the planting, tending and harvesting of 197 acres of wheat.

After the harvest on August 19, a total of $92,400 was provided for MCC’s account in the CFGB through the sale of the wheat.

When matched by funding from the Canadian government, as much as $462,000 will be available for MCC’s food assistance work in the developing world.

“Grow Hope was a great example of urban and rural people coming together to help people who don’t have enough to eat,” says John Longhurst, director of resources and public engagement for the CFGB.

“It shows what can be accomplished when people come together for a good cause.”

An ‘amazing campaign’

A few days earlier, about 60 people who had sponsored acres gathered on a Sunday afternoon at the Dycks’ farm for a celebration and to see the crop before it was harvested.

“The best thing about this project is how it excites others,” Grant told the gathering about the way the project had brought together urban and rural people.

Added Harold Penner, who represents the CFGB in Manitoba: “There is something beautiful about getting together as a community to do good.”

“This is a wonderful idea,” said Ed Barkman, who helped to organize the project on behalf of MCC and the CFGB.

“I hope we can see it spread to other provinces so others can join in through projects like this of their own.”

Cindy Klassen offered to be the spokesperson for the project.

“This is such an amazing campaign, a way of giving back,” said Olympic skater Klassen who was the first person to sponsor an acre. She noted that as a child she had often dreamed about becoming a farmer.

“We thought that this was something that people would be enthusiastic about, but the response we got was even better than we expected,” said David Turner, MCC Manitoba communications co-ordinator.

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Their efforts will be greatly aided by support from some of Canada’s agribusiness companies. Businesses lined up to provide free seed, fertilizer, chemicals and other products are Agrium, Arysta Life Science, Bayer Crop Science, Brett Young Seeds, Cargill Ag Horizons Canada, Cheminova, Dow Agrosciences, DuPont, DuPont Pioneer, Monsanto, Novozymes BioAg Limited, SeCan and Syngenta.

Altogether, the companies have donated over $300,000 of inputs for the growing projects, which find farmers coming together to plant, tend, harvest and then donate the proceeds of the sale of the crop. In 2013-14, 236 growing projects from Atlantic Canada to B.C. raised $5.3 million from the sale of 19,217 tonnes of grain for CFGB.

“We are grateful for the ongoing support for our growing projects,” says CFGB marketing and donor relations co-ordinator Sandra Dudych, noting the provision of free inputs and services helps the projects keep their expenses low so they can donate more to CFGB.

“The regular donations of products and services from these major companies greatly aids the work of hundreds of our volunteers, enabling them to raise more funds to help people in the developing world who don’t have enough to eat.”

• More from the Manitoba Co-operator: Olde Tyme Harvest to raise funds for Canadian Foodgrains Bank

In addition to support from these companies, CFGB also receives many other donations of products, services and cash from hundreds of other local and regional businesses across Canada. This includes services from over 120 elevator companies that handle crops on behalf of CFGB for free, or at reduced prices.

“We know it has been a challenging year for the companies that faithfully work with us to end global hunger,” says Dudych, adding that “their commitment to help us has been steadfast. Each expression of corporate support is appreciated.”

In its 2013-14 budget year, which ended March 31, CFGB provided $42 million of assistance for 1.28 million people in 42 countries.

Canadian Foodgrains Bank is a partnership of 15 churches and church agencies working together to end global hunger. Founded in 1983, it has provided over half a billion dollars for programs to millions of people in 78 countries that offer food assistance, improved agriculture and livelihoods, and nutrition for millions of people in the developing world.

Canadian Foodgrains Bank projects are undertaken with support from the Government of Canada.

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“We had a beautiful crop of wheat,” recalls Ben Friesen, who helps organize the Share project for CFGB, a partnership of 15 churches and church agencies working to end global hunger. “Then the hail came.”

Fortunately, the loss was covered in this case from Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC), a Manitoba government organization that provides insurance for farmers in the province.

“We got $20,000 for damaged crop, which we sent to the food grains bank,” says Friesen.

Something similar happened to the Central Alberta Canadian Foodgrains Bank project in Lacombe, Alberta in 2009.

“We had an excellent canola crop,” says treasurer Ken Ditzler of the project, which farmed 150 acres for CFGB. “We were on pace for 60 bushels an acre.”

The hail damage reduced the yield to 33 bushels. Like in Manitoba, the Lacombe project had free Straight Hail insurance. In this case, it was from the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC), a Crown corporation of the Alberta government that administers insurance, lending and income stabilization programs to agricultural producers.

“It felt good knowing we could still send the full amount to the food grains bank,” says Ditzler, noting that the insurance made up the difference.

The Morden and Lacombe projects are two examples of how AFSC and MASC partner with CFGB to ensure that growing projects in the two provinces can keep insurance costs low, and be able to send a donation to CFGB in the event of hail.

“We really appreciate AFSC’s generous support,” says Terence Barg, who co-ordinates CFGB growing projects in the northern part of Alberta. “It’s great to have this additional bit of security in the event of bad weather.”

“For people who are donating their time and effort to grow a crop for the food grains bank, it can be very dispiriting to see it destroyed by hail,” adds Andre Visscher, who co-ordinates growing projects in the southern part of that province. “The free insurance m.eans they can still donate something even if the worst happens.”

“Farmers work hard to raise money for the food grains bank,” says Manitoba regional co-ordinator Harold Penner. “Support from MASC not only provides insurance, but makes the work of farmers on behalf of people who are hungry more secure, meaningful and enjoyable.”

Since 2001, AFSC has supported CFGB by providing the first $80 per acre of Straight Hail insurance free of charge on crops grown by community growing projects in Alberta. Last year this translated to AFSC donating over $24,000 worth of insurance premiums.

In Manitoba, MASC has been offering free hail insurance since 2009 for every project that carries crop insurance, up to a maximum of 160 acres. This year, it has increased the level of insurance coverage from $150 per acre to $175 per acre.

“We are indebted to corporations like AFSC and MASC in Alberta and Manitoba,” says CFGB executive director Jim Cornelius. “Their support ensures that we are able to help feed more people in the developing world who don’t have enough to eat.”

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