For fifteen years, the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC) has benefitted from the harvests of farmers north of Toronto, Ontario. While the crops that are harvested don’t actually feed CRWRC staff members, they do support programs that help people around the world gain access to more consistent supplies of food. These crops are part of the appropriately named, Loaves and Fishes Growing Project, and the proceeds from the sale of crops that are harvested are used to support CRWRC and other members of the Canadian Food Grains Bank (CFGB).

“The Loaves and Fishes Growing Project started in the fall of 1997 when a group of farmers and individuals from the South Simcoe area gathered together to talk about how they wanted to grow corn and soybeans to donate to the Canadian Food Grains Bank. The following spring, 108 acres were planted in five different plots and we have never looked back,” said Anne Kell, one of the Loaves and Fishes Growing Project Organizers.

The inspiration for the project came from Doug Jackson, who had been involved in similar projects in Perth County and wanted to do something similar in Bradford. His vision was to have a Growing Project in which any willing individual could take part without having to be tied to a specific piece of land. This made it possible for farmers in a variety of location as well as agribusinesses and urban churches to all take part in the Loaves and Fishes project.

The other interesting element of the project is that people from a wide variety of church denominations could work together through the same project. Amongst the churches working together are four rural and one urban Christian Reformed Church. These include: Rehoboth CRC, Holland Marsh CRC, Barrie First CRC, Barrie Covenant CRC and Alliston CRC. Some of the farmers who work on the project are also Christian Reformed, coming from Holland Marsh CRC, Barrie First CRC and Barrie Covenant CRC.

“The member agencies we support through our Growing Project include Canadian Lutheran World Relief, Canadian Baptist Ministries, the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, Emergency Relief and Development Overseas (Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada), the Mennonite Central Committee, Presbyterian World Service and Development, the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (Anglican Church of Canada), the United Church of Canada and World Relief Canada,” said Kell.

“It is great to see farmers, agribusinesses, and urban supporters of different denominations working together to support those who are hungry” added Jackson. Last year about 80 volunteers from South Simcoe were actively involved in the project providing land, labour, time or other efforts to help the project succeed. As a result, 300 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat, black beans, and hay were harvested which were sold. A total of $205,000 was raised and sent to the CFGB – $89,000 of which went to the CRWRC account.

“Sometimes we lose a piece of land, but often someone else hears about our efforts and steps forward with another plot, or talks to someone else who might have land for Loaves and Fishes to use,” said Kell.

In addition to all of these volunteers and farmers, the project is supported by 18 agribusinesses which donate crop inputs to help off-set the costs. Several churches also support the initiative with financial donations.

It is the contributions of these individuals, churches, and businesses that gave the growing project its name.

“The project functions much like the story found in the Gospels where Jesus performed the miracle of the loaves and fishes,” explained Kell. “Everyone involved does something or plays a part that reflects the skills or gifts that they can contribute. When all of those individual contributions are pooled, God multiplies them to do so much more than any one person could do on their own. Without the cooperation and support of the farmers, agribusinesses and churches, Loaves and Fishes could not possibly have been as successful, or even as long-lived as it has been!”

“For every dollar given in the collection plate on a special Loaves and Fishes Sunday offering, we produce $3 from grain sold. Each of those dollars then multiplies to about $10 with the CIDA matching funds! People give the money, farmers give the land and businesses help with the inputs. It truly is a loaves and fishes miracle!” added Growing Project Coordinator and long-time CRWRC agriculturalist Peter VanderZaag. “$1.6 million was raised right here in 14 years and about 40% goes to the CRC account – just by people putting a few dollars in the collection plate at church, we get the Loaves and Fishes miracle rolling.”

In 2006, Kell and her husband had the opportunity to see how their work with the Loaves and Fishes project impacted those in need. They travelled to Kenya and Ethiopia as part of a CFGB Food Study Tour.

“It was so encouraging to see the real difference that the food assistance and food security projects were making in the lives of the people,” said Kell. “The profound faith and abundant hope of the people we met on our trip has also really left a lasting impression on us. It was very humbling to witness the faith and courage of people who faced such adversity each day.”

As the intermediary who receives support from Loaves and Fishes and is able to direct it to those most in need, CRWRC is also humbled and extremely grateful to all of those involved in this project.

“Support from growing projects such as Loaves and Fishes has enabled CRWRC to provide emergency food assistance to disaster survivors, care for children orphaned by HIV/AIDS, provide programs in nutrition, and help farmers throughout the developing world improve their agricultural practices and reduce their risk to future disaster,” said Wayne de Jong, CRWRC Director of Disaster Response and Rehabilitation. “It is amazing how the God-given gifts of Canadian farmers are used to strengthen the resilience of families throughout the world.”

To learn more about growing projects taking place in your Canadian community or to get involved in your own, please contact Bernice Oostdyk at 1-800-730-3490.

In the United States, there are many similar growing projects taking place to raise support for CRWRC’s account in the Foods Resources Bank. Contact Wendy Hammond for more information at 1-800-552-7972.