World’s fastest harvest aids Ethiopians
By ChristianWeek staff
WESTLOCK, AB–It was over in less than 16 minutes.
 |
Fifteen
minutes and 43 seconds to be exact. That’s
how long it took 64 combines to harvest 160 acres
of land Aug. 21 in Westlock, Alberta, 40 miles
north of Edmonton. If approved by the Guinness
Book of World Records as a new category, it will
be the world’s fastest harvest, says Trish
Jordan of Canadians Foodgrains Bank. The event was organized by CFGB as a fundraiser to help a rural community in Ethiopia establish a stable water supply by setting up a water diversion project. The harvest of the feed wheat is valued at $20,233. |
| Bringing in the sheaves:
Sixty-four combines cooperated to harvesta quarter section of wheat in record time as part of a Canadian Foodgrains Bank fundraiser event. The money went to a water supply project in Ethiopia. |
Leo Seguin, Westlock project organizer, estimates the project raised more than $50,000 including cash donations, which will be matched 4:1 by Canadian International Development Agency, resulting in a total of about $200,000. The money will be designated to the Canadian Lutheran World Relief account at CFGB and will help pay for equipment and provide food for Ethiopian workers.
Seguin says he is very thankful for the good weather, especially since bad weather hampered attempts in the previous two years.
"It was a great day for both sides of the ocean. Our community was very proud of the cooperation, and we never lost sight of the goal of helping the malnourished in Africa," he says.
More than 400 volunteers contributed in one way or another. Local farmers and agricultural businesses donated equipment, seed, fertilizer and chemicals to help produce the crop. Others painted signs, made brochures or made cash donations.
The community growing project in Westlock is one of about 47 projects on the prairies growing grain for donation to CFGB. With the support of farmers, churches and other volunteers, the 13 member agencies of CFGB provided more than 50,000 metric tonnes of food to people in 24 countries last year.
