Tariffs and dry conditions are having an impact on how much canola farmers are able to raise to fight world hunger this year, but that’s not stopping Share the Harvest volunteers north of Edmonton near Gibbons. Read More
’Generally speaking, we were getting ‘just in time’ rains and ‘just enough’ rains and yields have been largely surprisingly good’
‘Generally speaking, we were getting ‘just in time’ rains and ‘just enough’ rains and yields have been largely surprisingly good’
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Tariffs and dry conditions are having an impact on how much canola farmers are able to raise to fight world hunger this year, but that’s not stopping Share the Harvest volunteers north of Edmonton near Gibbons.
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About a dozen combines were working a 265-acre field about 40 kilometres north of the city Saturday for the 23rd annual harvest event and barbecue, with the aim of raising $200,000 as part of the group’s efforts to fundraise for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank — a world-renowned charity focused on improving food security worldwide. Farmers in the Fort Saskatchewan area have been raising funds for the bank this way since 2003.
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“We are very blessed to live in Canada,” said Share the Harvest secretary-treasurer Shaun Galloway. “There are so many people in the world that don’t enjoy the things we take for granted.
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“So we want to do what we can to make the world a better place, to the best of our abilities.”
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Having retired from farming himself, Galloway said he’s heard from peers the 80 per cent tariff imposed on canola exports to China has been a challenge for many farmers this year, reducing how much they can collect from their harvest on the international market which in turn limits the amount of funds farmers can raise for the cause. Tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump on Canadian steel being used to build farm equipment, most of which is manufactured in the United States, is also hitting the bottom line for farmers — not to mention Canada’s counter-tariffs on American steel and aluminum.
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Add to the mix a drier-than-normal season, though it’s not nearly as bad as the long-term drought in the northern parts of the province. Farmers are a resilient bunch and Galloway said the feedback he’s getting is that drought conditions in the Edmonton area could be a lot worse.
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“We have been on the dry side for sure, but the yields have been surprisingly good in this area,” he said. “Generally speaking, we were getting ‘just in time’ rains and ‘just enough’ rains and yields have been largely surprisingly good.
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“You can go 10 miles and find someone who missed some showers, but all things considered, people are happy with the yields locally.”
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Share the Harvest is split into two smaller fundraising arms: Grow Hope and the Growing Project. The latter consists of land, seeds and fertilizer donated by businesses and individuals and worked by volunteer farmers. This accounts for 140 acres of the 265-acre canola field near Gibbons, which was donated by Suncor in 2013. The remainder of the field — and another 135 acres across the region — are part of Grow Hope, where individuals can sponsor an acre of land through the Mennonite Central Committee. A farmer then uses the land to grow a crop, which is then sold on the market and donated to the foodgrains bank. Donations are eligible — though not guaranteed — to be matched by the federal government up to four times.
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