Prairie West Growing Project is growing!
BY JOAN JANZEN
joanjanzen@yahoo.com
The Prairie West Growing Project (PWGP) is growing a lentil crop in the Kindersley area. Since 2004, the land location of 27-29-24 W3 (six miles west and 3 miles north of Kindersley) has been designated to produce for PWGP. Land owners, Don and Linda Lafleur stressed the importance of this community effort.
“There are so many people that are involved and help out. It’s a huge community effort,” Don said.
There are hundreds of active growing projects across the country, with a wide variety of crops being grown; everything from wheat, canola, barley, flax and forage.
The community effort in the Kindersley area began this growing season when Coutts Agro seeded lentils on May 14th, providing the seed, man power and equipment. Syngenta provided Prairie West Growing Project with two cases of Cruiser Vibrance Quattro obtained from G-Mac Ag Team in Kindersley.
And that’s not all: Bayer Crop Science Inc. approved a grant for the project of $1,667 to be added to PWGP’s total donations at the end of the year. This year, as per previous years, Bayer Crop Science has generously supported Foodgrains Bank Growing Projects with an $80,000 gift and asked the Foodgrains Bank to distribute it to 135 projects across Canada.
“Eric Frieson, who works with us each year with the harvesting, is manager of the Pattison store plus four others, so we definitely have an advocate. Pattison is very excited about what the Foodgrains Bank does,” Don said.
As Don and Linda see the lentil crop grow before their eyes, they appreciate the fact that the majority of everything raised by the community will go to needy recipients. “Ninety percent of everything that’s raised is actually used for the people who are in need,” Don said. “The Foodgrains Bank not only encourages people to learn to feed themselves, but empowers them to have the ability to feed themselves and their families. We feel that is really important, because we can never raise enough food to continually hand out food. But if we can teach them to produce for themselves, they can take care of themselves and share their increase with others. They can support the entire community by sharing their increase, so everyone can benefit.”
As we hear of flooding and drought being experienced throughout the world, the Foodgrains organization (through committee meetings) determines who they are going to assist.
The Lafleur’s said this year’s crop is looking really good. Once the crop is harvested, the Foodgrains organization sells the grain, brings the money in and finances and aids people in doing projects in different communities. The hope is those communities will contribute back to their communities.