Growing Project Harvest set to go ahead Monday

Farmers are known as a generous bunch.

They’re always willing to help a neighbour or support a community cause.

That reputation is solidified every year when agricultural producers

come together to help launch and support foodgrains projects

throughout the country.

Here in our neck of the woods, that spirit of co-operation will be on

full display Monday, as after two setbacks provided by Mother Nature,

the Coaldale-Lethbridge Community Growing Project will finally hold

its harvest.

“Everything is full steam ahead,” said Larry Penner, the media contact

for the project. ‘We’ve had two of them (harvest dates) already, and

we never got the point of going to the press with them because the

weather got really ugly.”

That doesn’t look to be the case for Monday, as The Weather Network is

calling for sun and a high of 27 degrees.

It should provide good conditions for the harvest of the quarter-

section of barley, located north of the McCain potato-processing

plant. It’s a crop organizers are very happy with, despite the later-

than-expected harvest.

“There is a massive crop out there,” said Penner, who added the barley

had to contend with challenges with water, wind and hail this season.

And with that comes the need for a lot of help come harvest day.

Penner added an army of volunteers will be out with combines and

trucks, a culmination of the work which included the swathing of the

crop of few weeks ago.

“If all goes as we hope, there will be about 15 combines plus trucks

to add some excitement to the afternoon,” said Penner, who added straw

baling will take place at another field closer to Coaldale.

Those involved in taking off the crop are just part of the process, as

Penner also commended those involved in seeding the barley, along with

volunteers who solicited donations and helped in any other way

throughout the project.

All of those efforts come to a conclusion Monday, as the day starts

with a barbecue at about 11:30 a.m., with opening ceremonies at 12:45

p.m. and harvest at 1 p.m.

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