(Central Alberta Foodgrains Growing Project)

By Sheldon Spackman

Held Sept. 27, 2025

Over $56,000 raised for 30th annual Central Alberta Foodgrains Growing Project

Oct 3, 2025 | 12:53 PM

Organizers of the 30th annual Central Alberta Foodgrains Growing Project are celebrating another successful initiative this year.

Held last Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, northwest of Rimbey, officials say the charity growing project saw six combines harvest 72 acres of canola in two-and-a-half hours

Officials say Vision Truck Lines provided two grain trucks to transport the canola to Richardson Pioneer elevator east of Lacombe, with four local agri-businesses providing a lunch before harvesting to the volunteers and 100 people in attendance.

Organizers say the sale of the harvested canola amounted to $37,353.46, while cash/cheque donations received at the harvest amounted to $860.00.

In addition, a Lacombe County farm family generously dedicated some of its own canola harvest at Richardson Pioneer for the Central Alberta Foodgrains Project that amounted to $18,234.24.

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Committee members will continue to receive donations up to Dec. 31, 2025, then will send all funds accumulated to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank in Winnipeg, a registered Canadian charity to help feed people internationally.

Officials are now looking for land to grow a crop in 2026 – Year 31.

Canadian Foodgrains Bank will have a small booth at Red Deer Agri-Trade November 5 to 7.

The Central Alberta Foodgrains Growing Project is celebrating 30 years of alleviating hunger worldwide.

Doug Maas, spokesperson for the group, says 72 acres of canola northwest of Bentley is set to be harvested over the Sept. 26-28 weekend.

The field was seeded on May 29, with three volunteers swathing the field on Sept. 13.

Maas says the group was pleased to see more moisture and ideal crop growing conditions in the fields compared to recent years, adding it was a good crop this year.

Around five combines will be in the field over the weekend, with volunteer farmers treated to a special lunch on Saturday.

In all, 12 local committee members, and an army of 20-25 volunteers have come together to make this 30th anniversary event a success.

“We live in a great country, we have opportunities and advantages here that people in South Sudan, Sudan and The Congo don’t have,” says Maas. “I think it’s our responsibility when we have so much to help those who have so little.”

While it’s a rewarding feeling knowing they’ve helped feed hungry people, Maas adds, an added benefit is that the local community is strengthened by bringing people — urban and rural — together in a unique way.

“By helping other communities in the world, we’ve also strengthened our own community,” he explains.

On Saturday, volunteers will come together at noon at the field to supply a lunch. Volunteer harvesters will eat first, but afterwards, the general public is invited to partake.

After lunch, the public is invited to pull up a lawn chair, says Maas, as it’s quite common for folks to watch the harvest action up close.

The 2025 farm is located in Lacombe County approximately 4 km north of the Hwy 12 and Hwy 20 roundabout.

In 2024, the Central Alberta Foodgrains Growing Project raised nearly $71,000 for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank.

The money came from a 120-acre canola harvest near Lacombe, plus 20 acres near Gull Lake.