Canadian Foodgrains Growing Project

Canadian Foodgrains Bank logo

2014 Canadian Foodgrains

MILLION DOLLAR MILESTONE

Members and friends of Oneida United Church gathered recently to celebrate reaching a Million Dollar Milestone in their ongoing growing project with the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, in partnership with Westdale UC in Hamilton and Ryerson UC in Ancaster.

 

Starting in 2002 with an 11 acre plot on the Wodskou farm we grew crops of corn, wheat and beans in rotation.  We now use a 15 acre field donated by Lee Metcalfe of Harwell Farms, along with 4.5 acres between the church and the cemetery on Oneida 2nd Line.

 

Funds raised by the 3 congregations cover inputs, and local farmers donate their time, labour and machinery.  Harvested crops are sold locally and money received is sent to the CFGB headquarters in Winnipeg.  Ron Clark of Clark Enterprises, whose grandparents were active members of Oneida UC, matches our efforts with a donation equal to the amount for which our crop sold.

 

The generosity of all these partners has enabled us to send away $200,000 over the 14 years we have been involved.  Add to this $800,000 when the Canadian Government matches our donation 4 to 1, and we are claiming that our little acreage is responsible for $1,000,000 going towards ending hunger throughout the world.

For more information about the Canadian Foodgrains – www.foodgrainsbank.ca

Ryerson Community Breakfast

October 2013

The United Church of Canada called for a moratorium on pesticides harming bee colonies – particularly in Ontario. In response to a recent article in the Observer magazine, Ryerson is eager to hear from the local community. We invited a panel of local beekeepers to provide information and their views on the pesticide neonicotinoids or ‘neonics’ which is applied as a seed coating to corn, soy, and canola. Neonics are suspected as contributing to the decline in populations of honeybees and other pollinating insects. Luc Peters from Weir’s Lavender Farm.

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