Farmers, volunteers gather for Canadian Foodgrains Bank harvest near Leduc

Volunteers help with harvest Dozens of families helped harvest a field Tuesday near Leduc to aid people in need. David Ewasuk has more.

Alberta farmers gathered south of Leduc Tuesday to harvest canola that will benefit people experiencing food insecurity worldwide.

The 150-acre plot is being harvested by a dozen combines and numerous volunteers as part of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank's efforts.

The non-profit was founded in Winnipeg in 1983 with the goal to end world hunger.

Grains and crops are harvested and 70 per cent of the profits support people in famine situations globally.

The other 30 per cent of profits is spent to help farmers grow more and better crops, including in areas that have suffered erosion and drought.

The Canadian government also recently signed an agreement with the organization to provide $100 million over four years for the group's work.

"Government, donors, churches, farmers (and) agriculture business people (are) working together to end hunger in different parts of the world," said the Canadian Foodgrains Bank's Abe Janzen.

The land is rented out, but the seeds for the crop and the fertilizer was donated, according to the landowner, Peter Brouer.

"It's very good to see all the combines and all the volunteers … and support from the whole community," Brouer added.

In Alberta, there will be 30 harvests like the one in Leduc County, with more happening across the country.

"A lot of these guys still have crops of their own, and they pause and they come so we can do this together," said Alex Abma, the treasurer of the Leduc and District Project branch of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank.

"The money is going towards families across the sea who don't have near what we have, and we have so much."

Some harvests are unique endeavours, like an event in Carstairs where the harvest was done by two threshing machines pulled by teams of horses and mules.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's David Ewasuk