Media release from Grow Hope Saskatchewan, May 1, 2023
Saskatchewan urban and rural communities will again join together under one banner to support people around the world who need emergency food assistance – a unique partnership known as Grow Hope Saskatchewan.
As Grow Hope Saskatchewan launches its sixth growing season, Rick Block, Regional Representative with Canadian Foodgrains Bank, says the initiative invites urban and rural dwellers to learn about farming and the collective responsibility to be good stewards of our resources – but there is a global impact too.
“Funds raised through the grain-growing project are used to support people around the world who need emergency food assistance, as well as improving long-term food security,” Block says. “Grow Hope Saskatchewan is a tangible way for productive land in Saskatchewan to have a direct and positive impact for many around the world who do not have access to food, the ‘bounty that comes from the land’,” he says.
How it works: Generous farmers in Saskatchewan have donated land and agreed to grow a crop for Grow Hope Saskatchewan. It costs $350 per acre to provide seed, fertilizer, fuel and other inputs. Donors from all walks of life are invited to sponsor a partial acre, full acre or multiple acres to help cover these costs. After harvest, the farmers sell the crop and donate the proceeds to Canadian Foodgrains Bank. The federal government matches these donations at four-to-one.
Michelle Hergott, a Grow Hope farmer near Bruno, Saskatchewan, says farmers have been gifted great abundance. Grow Hope Saskatchewan provides them an opportunity to share their passion.
“We are farmers and Grow Hope gives us the opportunity to help those in need while doing what we love to do,” she says. “Do you also feel a call within your heart to help this great organization to feed the world?” she asks.
Like Hergott, Block invites urban and rural people in Saskatchewan to help feed the world. “Folks are invited to sponsor an acre for $350, which can result in proceeds up to $500 from the sale of that crop. This in turn may be matched 4:1 through the Canadian Foodgrains Bank’s Partnership with Global Affairs Canada,” says Block.
Throughout the year Grow Hope SK offers multiple opportunities for community engagement including a field day, recipes connected to the grains grown and artwork inspired by the landscapes of Grow Hope fields.
About Grow Hope Saskatchewan:
Funds raised through Grow Hope Saskatchewan go to Canadian Foodgrains Bank to support people around the world with emergency food rations and long-term food security.
In 2022, Grow Hope Saskatchewan had a record-breaking year, raising $299,000 to end global hunger around the world.
Grow Hope Saskatchewan has raised $748,000 for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank since its inception in 2017 with the first crop was planted in 2018. Leveraging matching grants from Global Affairs Canada received at the highest rate, the total contribution would be about $3.74 million.
At the launch of the 2023 growing season, there are 421 available donated acres to sponsor. Individual donations are welcome through the summer and there are several exciting opportunities for corporate sponsorship.
It costs as much as $350 to sponsor an acre of land. This includes seed, fertilizer, fuel, and other inputs needed to grow a crop. Donors are able to sponsor partial acres, a full acre, or multiple acres.
Grow Hope Saskatchewan started as a collaboration between Canadian Foodgrains Bank, MCC Saskatchewan, and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon in the winter of 2017 to find creative ways to unite urban and rural communities in the effort to end global hunger.
The 2023 Grow Hope Saskatchewan project is a partnership of:
- Anglican Diocese of Qu’Appelle – Primate’s World Relief & Development Fund, PWRDF,
- Synod of SK of the Presbyterian Church in Canada – Presbyterian World Service & Development,
- Mennonite Central Committee of Saskatchewan,
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon – Development & Peace Caritas Canada,
- Canadian Baptist Ministries.
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