Northeast Growing Project gets crops off to fight hunger overseas

Volunteer farmers braved the cold on Wednesday to get the crops off 120 acres west of Fort Kent.

Called the Northeast Growing Project, the crops grown helps fight hunger across the globe.

“We’re lucky that will we have some good volunteers that came to help us today to get this crop off,” said Terry Shenher, chairman of the Northeast Growing Project.

“The proceeds will be sold and the money will be sent into the Canadian Foodgrains Bank this fall. And that’ll be matched times four times by the federal government for foreign aid in their foreign aid program. It’ll help feed several people for many over in third world countries,” he said.

Shenher estimates this year they’ll raise $30,000 which we will matched four times by the Government of Canada.

He adds that $100 feeds a family of five for 30 days in the nations they help.

“We’re very blessed that we can do this for someone else,” he said.

Over the two decades the Northeast Growing Project has been around, they’ve raised over $540,000.

The national-wide group is meant to be a Christian response to fighting hunger.

“The Foodgrains Bank itself is a very well organized company and their administration costs are less than 10 per cent of the total monies that are sent to them. So basically all of the rewards of everybody’s efforts gets used for so helping someone else.

“It takes a core group of volunteers to keep it going on a yearly basis. And we’re thankful that we have some of the farmers that showed up on it on the day like today, in -10 degree weather to harvest this crop and help others that are in need.”