Plant it and they will come.
In its 16th year, the Ponoka Foodgrains Project harvests 170 acres each year, where the crop and donations are dispersed among 35 countries needing the support.
Starting at noon on Oct. 4, the harvest will kick off with a catered lunch for all who attend.
“It’s a chance for us to thank our supporters,” said Foodgrains Project member Larry Henderson.
One hundred to 150 people come out each year to man the combines, help with the lunch or simply watch the usually bountiful crop come in.
Last year the project raised $85,000. “We’ve got to challenge and try to match it. Or beat it, that would be good,” said Henderson.
The project has been readily supported in Ponoka by farmers who come from various parts of the county to help bring in the crop, through monetary donations, product donations such as fertilizer and machinery from businesses, and by church organizations and the public.
The Foodgrains Project Field can be found three miles south of Ponoka along Highway 2, then west on C and E Trail (Township Road 423A). People can also reach the site by going west on Spruce Road and following the signs.