The Coaldale-Lethbridge growing project is hoping Mother Nature co-operates this week so this year Canadian Foodgrains crop can be harvested.
Larry Penner, who sits on the local project committee, said because of the cool, wet weather conditions the crop is not as ripe as it should be for this time of the year.
“The crop looks excellent,” but now just needs time to ripen before it is harvested.
Penner said a potential harvest date has been set for Friday, Sept. 17.
“Whether that materializes or not, we don’t know.”
Support for the Coaldale-Lethbridge project was good early on in the spring and first part of the summer but has now tapered off.
Penner said acre sponsorship is needed to cover the cost of growing the crop so anything raised from selling it can go directly to battling Third World starvation.
“We could sure use more acre sponsors.”
He said some people seem to be waiting until the actual harvest day to bring in their support and he is encouraging potential donors to take part in the harvest day.
This year’s crop was late in seeding and some of it was even standing in water for a time but the crop has come along well enough and just needs some sunshine.
Now in its fourth year, the local crop has raised about $100,000 annually.
“By the end of this year it will be over half a million.”
With matching funding from the federal government the Coaldale-Lethbridge crop will have raised over $2.5 million up to and including this year’s harvest.