There are two articles below "Spring is Here" May 5 directly below and "Rain Makes Grain…" June 9.
May 5 2008
Spring is here !
That means farmers now have to get busy and grow some grain !
We as Kernels of Hope farmers just finished year 3 of the 3 year project assisting Liberians to resettle and get their lives back together after the civil war displacement. Slavek actually just got our Durum wheat moved into the Rosetown elevator last week. That's the last of the 2007 Kernels crop delivered now. Our little project has turned out to have a big effect! As Kernels Farmers...including the matching funds from CIDA we provided just over $530,000 since 2005 for those in need in Liberia. I am totally blown away by the support you have given this project and am deeply humbled that we have been able to make such a difference. Thanks so much to all of you out there who contributed to the Suokoko project !
As you are aware our mission is not done. Seldom have we seen as much about Hunger on the news as this year.
To me that confirms that our concerns and assistance have been necessary and will remain necessary for some time.
Mother Theresa is quoted as saying that if you can't feed one hundred people... then feed one... I know we can't fix everything with Kernels but after meeting many of the people in Africa that the CFGB has been helping feed and helping provide better methods of crop production I know now more than ever that we are making an incredible change for the better in peoples lives. Believe me, they are so grateful for your concern and compassion. In March many of you had a chance to meet Pugeni from Christian Care in Zimbawe as he toured Canada on the CFGB'S People to People program. He constantly relayed the thanks of those people who he called the Poorest of the Poor. If you can see the attachment of the picture I attached of what I call the Kernels 2008 Launch Site you will see it says we are all connected... Our project is operated for the Evangelical Church of Canada which is a partner of World Relief Canada which is one of 15 partners of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank which partners with the Canadian International Development Agency of the federal government along with local implementing partners in each country in need. This connects you to those recipients ! There have been 77 countries assisted by the CFGB in the past 25 years... I am not sure I could even name 77 countries without looking some up ! There have been 1,000,000 tonnes of grain shipped in that same 25 years. If you bagged all that product and put in in box cars it would make a train 290 kilometers long... Sadly, with recent events and for various reasons we need to keep that train going...
This year Kernels of Hope through ECCC, WRC and the CFGB is supporting Tearfund in year one of a three year project in Aweil South County, Northern Bahr el Ghazal in Southern Sudan, in a context shifting from relief to development. Their strategy is to reduce the vulnerability of the population to malnutrition and to introduce project components aimed at tackling some of the root causes of malnutrition, such as poor hygiene and feeding practices, lack of clean water availability, poor farming techniques, and lack of local health skills and infrastructure. The 41,002 primary beneficiaries of the project will include children admitted into the feeding program and their caretakers, farmers that receive training and farming inputs, local fishermen, local health workers that receive training, and community members able to access clean water via the new boreholes provided.
We currently have Slavek Dasiuk farming 40 acres for us again in Milden, Saskatchewan. We will know next week whether it will be seeded to Durum wheat or canola.
We also have some new Kernels Farmers in Saskatchewan. Garf Challoner is seeding 55 acres of Hard Red Spring Wheat for us this year right on the outskirts of Norquay. We have Owen and Bruce Westerlund farming 20 acres of Harvest wheat north of Hyas.
Dennis Pearson is seeding 45 acres of Canola south of Minnedosa this year. You'll be able to see this field from Highway #10.
We have another couple of irons in the fire that I will keep you posted on as details progress.
Input costs have increased substantially this year. Most of you wouldn't know that a tonne of Phosphate fertilizer is around $1400 dollars this spring. (that's nearly triple the normal cost) ALL of you know how much Fuel has increased !
We are still going to ask for $200 /acre this year and have some plans figured to cover the extra costs. Of course you are welcome to pledge (and pay for ) partial acres also or multiple acres! Be brave and try a hectare ! I promise to mail a World Relief Canada cap to the first person who tells me by email the number of acres in a hectare (you need to get it to 3 decimal places...)
Another math project I did is to take $200 and divide that by 365 days...that makes 55 cents a day...now maybe you can split that with another family member... cut 55 cents in half... and you are at 27 cents a day to sponsor a whole acre! When you get your tax receipt back for your donation that 27 cents is under a quarter a day.
Thanks to all of you that have already contributed to the 2008 Kernels project in the past little while. For those who have been waiting for this years details and for those who's eyes, hearts and wallets have been opened a little by recent events and or this note
here's the scoop ! Pledges are due by June 30... Payment due by July 31... Please make cheques payable to ECCC and mail them to Box 34025 RPO Fort Richmond, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 5T5 . Another option is to go to Kernels registration so you are sure to get your farming updates... and so we can send you a receipt. You can also pay online with a credit card by going to the online giving link over to your left. You can also pass your money to a Kernels rep in your area ! Don't forget to pass this information along to others you think would want to help in this way. I think we are going to have a great year in 2008 and I look foward to farming with you !
Till next time,
June 9 2008
Rain Makes Grain… We are getting some now !
The crops are progressing… Planting is done …the seeds are coming alive and beginning their journey through the soil. Using the moisture in the soil and the moisture provided by life giving rain to make use of the nutrition in the soil and the food added as fertilizer…Getting out now to see the world…. Full of nothing but potential !
Here’s what we know so far for 2008-06-06 Costs are a little more than $200 but we are sharing sponsorship of the acres… every dollar donated really counts this year…fuel and fertilizer have jumped drastically !
The year has been cool and dry in most areas… So we are off to a slow start… Manitoba has had enough rain and we just need some heat on the Dennis Pearson canola at Minnedosa…There are 45 acres there of Invigor canola. Invigor is a high yielding hybrid canola . He will soon spray it with Liberty…likely with a touch of Centurian to sharpen the control. I drive by this field everyday and can just start to see it turning green…
Garf Challoner has 55 acres of hard red spring wheat just outside Norquay, Sk… They are getting much needed rain today ! Owen Westerlund has the 20 acres of Harvest wheat just about 20 miles west of Garfs. Harvest is also a variety of hard red spring wheat…The rain there today is very welcome..
Close to Saskatoon at Milden, Sk Slavek Dasiuk has seeded 40 acres of Durum Wheat again…It did great for us last year…
And we have had Dwayne and Glenna join us with 50 acres of CWRS Hard red wheat this year. They have seeded Lillian wheat. Dwayne has maps if people are in the area and want to look at that crop …He said today that “ Our wheat field is coming nice but it is in desperate need of a rain and is well behind where it should be.”
(I sent this note to some Saturday night and I had a reply that it was raining Sunday morning ! J )
I have included a picture from their field today !
Hudye Farms and Hudye Soil Services at Norquay are Kernels of Hope Supporters in a big way. This year they are making it even bigger! It is 25th Anniversary of the Canadian Food Grains Bank and also the 25th Anniversary of Hudye Soil Services. They have a terrific day each year called Field of Dreams where they bring in people from all over to show field scale trials of methods of producing higher yielding crops than most people even think are possible in Canada. The theme of Field of Dreams this year is Feeding the World… This year they have offered ....and Kernels has accepted the total proceeds from five 5 acres plots… They are high yielding canola and wheat. I will also have the opportunity to attend the day and make a presentation on what we and others are doing to help others this way. I am excited about the possibilities of this boost we are receiving ! I’ll keep you posted on this as we go !
The virtual farmers are returning big time this year with lot’s of first time farmers joining in… World news has never before highlighted the problems of hunger and access to food this much… Everyone who is contributing in this way is making such a difference when it is so important. I thank you for your part in this… I don’t take it for granted and I know that the recipients of what you are helping to produce are not taking it for granted.
Thanks to those who have already given your sponsorship to your local Kernels rep or sent it in to the ECCC office in Winnipeg…. Credit Cards donations can still be done at www.canadacovenantchurch.org
If you’d like to mail a cheque :
You can make the cheque out to ECCC and on the note section at the bottom please write Kernels of Hope . You can mail it to PO Box 34025 RPO Fort Richmond Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 5T5
Tax receipts will be issued from Winnipeg.
Till next time !
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Find out more details contact Ray the Grain Guy at 204-867-5341 or email at raybaloun@hotmail.com