Four local farmers are reporting excellent yields from the 55 acres of crops they are donating to the HELP project of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank.

The 14-year project has been feeding starving people with proceeds received through volunteer farming in the areas around St Pierre, Grunthal, Aubigny, and St Malo.

Rone Tone, a coordinator with the initiative, says the partnership of 15 churches and church-based agencies has raised nearly $35,000 so far this year.

“We’ve had three different grow projects,” informs Tone. “There’s one 10 acre, there’s a 5 acre, and 40 acre with corn, soybean, and oats on there.”

Tone says roughly $27,000 of the money raised is a result of the crops donated by Ron Vermette, Guy Vermette, Tyler Froese, and Gerry Lahaie. Those not directly involved in farming provided another $7,500 in donations.

“It’s not just food,” adds Tone, “it’s supplying knowledge too.”

According to Tone, the initiative also assists in other ways such as suggesting different crop rotations, building wells, clearing brush, and other aspects of agriculture. Additionally, the group offers co-ops and financial assistance with a banking system that allows people to start their own businesses.

Tone says he is grateful to the farmers involved and all those who donated and suggests that people consider starvation as they have been COVID-19.

“It’s not putting COVID down, I mean, it’s real, but there’s also so much poverty in the world, and you can see these people are dying, not just starving, they’re actually dying from the starvation.”