Vegreville Food Grains Growing Project Harvest Two Crops in 2020

Vegreville Food Grains Growing Project Harvest Two Crops in 2020

Darren Achtymichuk Submitted

After a very difficult harvest year, the Vegreville Food Grains Growing Project was able to finally able to clear the 2019 crop and plant and harvest another barley crop in the 2020 growing season.

Significant late-season rainfall and poor drying conditions in the fall of 2019 limited the number of days when harvesting could take place, and like a number of other fields in the Vegreville region, the Food Grains Growing Project remained unharvested when the snow arrived.

However, the crop of barley overwintered surprisingly well, and during May and June, the committee was able to swath and combine the standing barley, and haul it directly to the nearby Viterra elevator, where it was sold as #1 feed barley.

By the time harvesting was complete it was well into June, and the committee decided to plant barley again. The fertilizer and seed were floated on by Nick and Noah Bilyk, using their large applicator. Fortunately, the autumn of 2020 was much kinder to farmers, and with the help of Webb’s Machinery and Deerland Equipment, the committee was able to harvest the 2020 crop in early October. After the crop was dried by Achtymichuk Farms, it was once again delivered to the local Viterra elevator.

As a result of the hard work by the people involved in the Food Grains Growing Project a total of $57,000 was sent to Canada Foodgrains Bank’s head office in Winnipeg. We received $22,000 from the spring harvest and $25,000 from the fall harvest.

This money will be used to supply emergency food aid for areas that are suffering from natural or man-made disasters. One recent example where the Canadian Foodgrains Bank supplied aid was in Lebanon where a horrific explosion destroyed warehouses housing wheat and other products. Through a unique partnership with the....

Read the full story in the December 2, 2020 edition of the News Advertiser - now online! https://issuu.com/thenewsadvertiser/docs/december_02__2020_-_web?fr=sNWMyYjIzMjQ1MzM