Farmers get crops seeded for Canadian Foodgrains Bank

It was a challenging spring for many farmers, and that includes those helping out with Canadian Foodgrains Bank growing projects.

"Seeding for all of our growing projects, like all of the other farms across the province, have been really delayed," said Regional Rep Gordon Janzen. "It's been a very late spring and wet one, so our growing projects are late like all the other farmers. It's been a challenging season here."

He notes the total number of projects in Manitoba is down from last year.

"We're down two or three projects from last year but we're around 35 growing projects this year and I'm happy with that. Most of the projects are seeded but not all of them."

One of the projects that didn't get seeded was the Whitemud project near Gladstone. The CHUM project near Altona was seeded by broadcast floating on canola and then harrowing it in.

Janzen adds he's always amazed at how farmers can find time in the spring to assist with growing projects.

"I'm always amazed at the energy that they have. The farmers and local businesses, they're busy in spring during seeding and yet they've been able to find the time to have the growing projects incorporated in the schedule of their farming. We're really thankful for that kind of commitment to incorporating this as part of their farming schedule. It makes a big difference for our food programs."

Janzen says as much as we have challenges here, there's also increased numbers of hungry people around the world. He notes almost 200 million people are acutely food insecure this year, up 40 million people from last year.