Coaldale-Lethridge Foodgrains Growing Project celebrates 20 years

Sunny South News Photos by Kristine Jean. HARVESTING TIMES: Despite a devastating hail storm in mid-August, the Coaldale-Lethbridge Foodgrains Growing Project gathered on Aug. 20 with area farmers, volunteers and members of the community to salvage what they could of this years crop. A total of 14 combines came out to harvest barley and straw and show their support for the Coaldale-Lethbridge Foodgrains Growing Project.

By Kristine Jean
Sunny South News

Despite a devastating hail storm that hit just before harvest time, the Coaldale-Lethbridge Foodgrains Growing Project (CLFGP) are counting their blessings, thankful for their 20th consecutive harvest in 2026.  

Volunteers, farmers, area residents and CLFGP members rallied together on August 20, to harvest what they could of barley and straw this growing season, in a field just east of the Readymade Community Centre, where a total of 14 combines came out to salvage about 10 to 20 per cent of crops.  

“What we’re seeing here today is a snapshot of what we’ve seen for all of our 20 years – and that is an incredible community effort,” said Ed Donkersgoed, past president of the Coaldale-Lethbridge Foodgrains Growing Project. “People choosing to leave their schedule temporarily to come help out for needy people around the world, that they’ll likely never meet.”   

Just days before the anticipated harvest, a hail storm wiped out this year’s abundant crop, noted Donkersgoed, adding that after opening up the field a couple of days prior to the Aug. 20, harvest, they were anticipating about 30 to 35 bushels, but reports came in that morning of significantly higher yields in some parts of the field. 

“We would love to average closer to the 80 (bushels) but we will take what we can get today,” said Donkersgoed, noting last year’s totals from a nearby field, saw them harvest 158 bushels, which was a record for the Coaldale-Lethbridge Foodgrains Growing Project. 

“This field had all the makings of yet another record – we were thinking it was a 160 maybe 170,” he added. “So it was all there until six days before our anticipated swathing date.” 

This year, the Coaldale-Lethbridge Foodgrains Growing Project is celebrating its 20th anniversary and Donkersgoed said it’s been an incredible two decades of volunteers, donations, and community support.  

“The difference this year of course is, this harvest was thrown together as the result of the storm. Typically, our volunteers have several weeks to gear up and plan around having to come here as part of their work day,” he said. “So this is incredible given the shortness of time they had to prepare.

“That’s the kind of level of commitment we have from not just smaller farmers who are helping out, but the larger dealerships participating too,” added Donkersgoed. 

Every year harvest day would normally include a barbecue in the field but that was changed as a result of the storm. However, the organization still wants to mark the 20th anniversary milestone and will do so at a special event, scheduled for later this fall. 

“After most of the harvest is done for most folks, Oct. 17 is the chosen date and we’ll pick a spot central to this area and we will break bread together and really talk about what 20 years of incredible volunteerism and gratitude we have for the people of southern Alberta,” said Donkersgoed. 

Coaldale-Lethbridge Foodgrains Growing Project executive member, Daniel Donkersgoed, said while they didn’t have a total number of bushels harvested, they will have a home for the crops. 

“Originally, the grain used to go overseas, but now it’s all sold and money goes overseas to help fund projects overseas,” said Daniel Donkersgoed, adding the grain will go into semis, hauled away and stored in a grain bins, with the straw baled and hauled away to feedlots the following week. 

Over the past 20 years, the non-profit organization has raised close to  $3 million dollars, which includes the four-to-one matching amounts from the federal government. 

“We’ve had 20 years of success, 20 years of huge abundance, blessing and generosity by the community. God has been good the whole time and that’s the main thing we want to celebrate,” said Daniel Donkersgoed. “We’ve had success, we’ve raised a lot of money and throughout all God has been good.”