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Partnerships that plant seeds of hope

Partnerships that plant seeds of hope
Nov 27, 2024
By Jean-Paul McDonald
Assistant Editor, North American Content, Farms.com

Canadian Crops turned into global relief efforts

In a world where one in 11 people face hunger, Canadian Foodgrains Bank, Viterra, and volunteer farmers are celebrating a nine-year partnership aimed at creating food security for thousands of families worldwide.

In 2024, approximately 267 acres of land at five Viterra facilities in Saskatchewan (Balgonie, Grenfell, and Raymore) and Alberta (Trochu and Lethbridge) were dedicated to this initiative. Volunteer farmers planted and harvested crops on these acres, raising funds to support the Foodgrains Bank's global hunger relief efforts.

"For the ninth consecutive year, we're grateful to be partnering with Viterra, and with the volunteer farmers in Alberta and Saskatchewan who remain dedicated to harvesting crops and raising funds to help end hunger around the world," said Foodgrains Bank executive director Andy Harrington.

"As a global industry leader, we recognize the importance of food security and moving food ingredients to areas of need safely and efficiently," said Kyle Jeworski, CEO of Viterra Canada. "I would like to thank the Foodgrains Bank for the great work they do to help fight hunger globally, our farmers for their time and effort in supporting these growing projects,

and our employees who have been helping to facilitate our efforts with the Foodgrains Bank for the last nine years."

In addition to providing land for the initiative, Viterra contributes $5 for every tonne of crops donated through its grain elevators in Western Canada.

Funds raised through this partnership support both emergency humanitarian aid and long-term development projects. These initiatives include assisting communities affected by natural disasters and conflicts, as well as offering agricultural training to help people build sustainable futures.

This nine-year collaboration continues to demonstrate the power of partnerships between organizations and individuals to make a meaningful impact in the fight against global hunger.

Photo Credit: foodgrainsbank.ca


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The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.