(File photo/Farm News Now Staff)

By Angela Brown

Help for the hungry

Grow Hope Saskatchewan helps feed hungry around the world

Apr 15, 2021 | 5:43 PM

NORTH BATTLEFORD — The Grow Hope Saskatchewan program is underway for this year, offering residents across the province an opportunity to help feed the hungry in underdeveloped nations.

Through the initiative, people can sponsor an acre of farmland for $300, roughly the cost to seed it. After harvest, the crop from the acre can be worth as much as $500. The farmer will donate the proceeds to Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB). That money will be matched by up to 4:1 by the federal government to help turn the $300 donated into as much as $2,500 for that acre to help communities in need around the world.

The project, that is now in its fourth year, is a partnership between Mennonite Central Committee, Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB), Saskatoon Catholic Diocese and their agency, Development and Peace and Canadian Baptist Ministries (CBM).

In Northwest Saskatchewan, producers Ian Sonntag and his brothers Patrick and Reg of Goodsoil, northwest of Meadow Lake, are among the farmers donating land and growing the crop for the project this year. The family has a mixed farm with a cow-calf operation and grow a variety of crops. They are donating 50 acres and will be growing oats for the effort.

This is the third year the family is taking part.

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Ian Sonntag said they used to donate grain to CFGB. When they heard about this program, they all wanted to get involved. He said the family is happy to take part.

“We have an obligation as a First World society to be able to help everybody in the world. It’s not just about us,” Sonntag said. “It’s important people don’t get caught up in the little differences between people but rather embrace the similarities we have, and unite for it.”

Rick Block is one of the founding members and one of the lead organizers of the project. He is also the Saskatchewan representative for CFGB and is on the Grow Hope Saskatchewan committee.

Block said people can sponsor $300 for an acre of farmland or just give whatever they can for the project. Last year, 174 acres were sponsored. This year, a total of 215 acres are available for people to sponsor. Essentially, the urban supporters are helping to offset the input costs for helping grow the crop donated for the project. People can sponsor an acre from now up until harvest time.

Block is thrilled with the success of the project.

“It’s exciting to see people working together on-board here, to help impact people in other parts of the world that are in a really acute, and sometimes severe, situation where they can’t put food on the table,” he said. “That resonates with many people.”

The province’s COVID-19 restrictions over the past year have hampered a variety of fundraising activities. Fortunately, this growing project has been able to continue and flourish.

“Obviously, those kinds of events where we convene people and have food, those are all on hold,” Block said. “But these agricultural growing projects have not been impacted because of the manner in which the agricultural system here is mechanized. It’s outdoors. Those have not really been impacted through the Covid pandemic, so we’re very grateful for that.”

People can sponsor an acre through the Grow Hope Saskatchewan website.

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW