“We’re proud to continue our longstanding partnership with Canadian Foodgrains Bank and support their important work in raising awareness about global hunger,” Jeworski said. “As an industry leader, our focus is on connecting our customers to global markets and, through this project, we’re also pleased to help them assist those in need through our asset network across Western Canada.”
Last spring, Viterra, a marketer and handler of grains, oilseeds and pulses, provided the Foodgrains Bank with access to 42 acres of land to farm around its terminals in Balgonie, Saskatchewan, and Stettler, Alberta.
Two farmers from each of the areas volunteered their time to farm the land, and proceeds from the sale of the crop will be donated to the Foodgrains Bank to support its food assistance programs for countries in the developing world.
Groeneweg farmed the land around the Balgonie terminal. For them, it was an important way to contribute.
“Using agriculture as a means of giving back is something we wanted to do for a while now,” Groeneweg said on his family’s decision to volunteer for the project. “We’re so abundantly blessed. We have so much food here in Canada — too much food. There’s lots of places where that’s not the case.”
Cornelius is grateful for the support of both the Groeneweg family as well as Viterra.
“This is an exciting partnership for us,” Cornelius said. “Viterra has been a stalwart supporter of Foodgrains Bank community growing projects for many years. Farmers are known for being resourceful, and working with what they have. This new partnership represents a creative way of using the resources available to us for an important cause — helping to feed hungry people.”
In addition to providing the land, Viterra will provide the Foodgrains Bank with a donation of C$5 for each tonne of crops donated to the organization through one of its 68 grain elevators in Western Canada.
