Guelph, Ontario, Canada
August 17, 2011

Next month, Ontario farmers will attempt to harvest 160 acres of soybeans in world record time – hoping to complete the task in under 10 minutes. The initiative is called Harvest for Hunger and it’s a fundraiser for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, a partnership of 15 churches and church agencies working together to end global hunger.

The field site is in Perth County, near Monkton, Ontario. Local farmer Randy Drenth is Harvest for Hunger Chair. “We are planning for more than 100 combines to roll across the field together on harvest day,” Drenth says. “Our goal is to raise $200,000 for global hunger relief projects, and increase awareness for the need to fight hunger through publicity surrounding the event. We hope to harvest and auction off 10,000 bushels of soybeans. To our knowledge, this type of harvest has never been attempted before with soybeans.”

Syngenta Canada is one of the event supporters and is donating seed and crop protection products for half of the field site through the Brussels Agromart, including: S03-W4 soybean seed, Cruiser Maxx® Beans, Boundary®, Dual II MAGNUM® and Quilt®. Spraying was provided by Good Crop Services.

“Hunger and malnutrition are issues that affect more than one billion people around the world,” says Steve Johns, Territory Sales Representative with Syngenta Canada. “As an agriculture company, Syngenta is proud to support Harvest for Hunger by donating products to help ensure not only a record-breaking crop, but a healthy and bountiful one as well.”

Drenth says they are still looking for volunteers and combines.

Growers are urged to sign up their combines as soon as possible by contacting Drenth at harvest4hunger@hotmail.ca, or by calling 519-327-9504.

People are also encouraged to attend and be a part of this exciting initiative.

To learn more, visit http://www.foodgrainsbank.ca/harvest_for_hunger.aspx.
 

Website: http://www.syngenta.ca/

Published: August 17, 2011