By Kim Umbach, Alongside Hope Representative, MCC
This has been a year marked by uncertainty. In Canada, many of us felt the strain of tariffs, rising costs, affordability challenges, crop prices, and the unpredictable growing season. Would there be enough rain? Would there be too much? Elsewhere in the world, uncertainty took the form of conflict, drought, and natural disasters.
It is easy to feel the weight of all this. And yet, in our eighth season, Grow Hope continued to offer something steady. It reminded us that generous farmers and donors in our communities remain committed to ending hunger, and it reminded us that God is present in the fields, in our churches, and with our partners around the world.
This spring, we set out to find sponsors for 508 acres. To our amazement, enough support came in to cover 533 acres. By the end of harvest, through donations and crop sales, the project raised more than $326,600, surpassing our previous record from 2023.
In the Anglican tradition, we pray a version of Ephesians 3:20 each week: “Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine.” Even so, we continue to be amazed when we see those words unfold in front of us.
Instead of fear and uncertainty, we have seen hope and solidarity. We are deeply grateful to God for all he provides, and in that spirit of gratitude, we share some of the key highlights from this season.
Related: Prairie project feeds the world – ARTICLE
More information / donate – Grow Hope Saskatchewan website
Welcoming Canadian Lutheran World Relief and new farmer
This season saw a new Foodgrains Bank member, Canadian Lutheran World Relief, join the Grow Hope project. Their contributions have been a blessing to our team. We also welcomed a new farmer, Diana Dolack from Biggar, SK, who committed an additional 80 acres to the project.
Get to know Dianna and what motivated her to join the Grow Hope community here.
(Photos courtesy of Grow Hope Saskatchewan)
Learning together through field days
Field days are an important way to engage individuals and churches along with those who work in the agriculture industry. This year we took part in six field days across the province including the ever-popular Bruno Cherry Festival, the Doerksen family threshing bee in Carrot River, and others. Read more here.
In February, a team of Grow Hope Saskatchewan farmers, donors, and partner agency staff travelled to Rwanda to visit food security projects. (Photo courtesy Michael LeBlanc, devp.org)
Learning Tour to Rwanda
In February, a team of farmers, donors, and partner agency staff travelled to Rwanda to visit food security projects. They met communities taking part in village savings groups and conservation agriculture training and saw the difference Grow Hope support is making for families. Read more here.
Let me Praise Shalom
As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus during this Advent season, we want to leave you with words of hope and gratitude from one of the farmers we met in Rwanda:
“We pause to honour, to give our praise, / To Shalom, in all its ways. / For those who know, it’s felt so deep, / For those who don’t, it’s ours to keep. / What we’ve achieved, it’s clear to see, / The gifts of Shalom, they set us free. / In the realm of soil, where seeds take flight, / We’ve learned the art, the farmer’s might. / Minimum tillage, a gentle way, / To keep the earth healthy, day by day. / It nurtures the soil, with care it thrives, / Fixing nitrogen, as life survives. / Beneficial insects join the dance, / Leading to harvest, a fruitful chance. / So, let’s give thanks, for all we’ve found, / In Shalom’s wisdom, our roots are sound.”
Read the full poem here.
(Republished from a Grow Hope Saskatchewan Dec. 12, 2025 electronic newsletter, used with permission)
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Catholic Saskatoon News is supported by gifts to the Bishop’s Annual Appeal: dscf.ca/baa.