Komoka Growing Project Celebrates 15 years
Click on the small 'i' for descriptions. If you are having trouble viewing the images, click here to see the slideshow on our flickr page.$100,000 raised by Henderson Site Project since 1996
In 1996, Ray Henderson heard a presentation about how farmers could help people in the developing world by growing food for Canadian Foodgrains Bank.
“I could do that,” he said to himself.
With help from his wife, Mary, and neighbours Kathe and Tom Davidson, Carlyle Wood and Campbell Fletcher, he planted ten acres of corn on his farm near Komoka, Ontario, raising $9,663.
Ray, 92, and Mary, 91, are retired now, but the Henderson Site Project—as it is known—is still going strong. On September 30 about 30 people gathered to celebrate its 15th anniversary, and the passing of the $100,000 mark in donations for the Foodgrains Bank.
“Everyone feels good about the project,” says Kathe. “Every year, when we ask if people still want to participate, they say ‘of course—there is still a need.’”
Although this year’s wheat crop was not the best, due to weather, “the prices were good, so we were able to do OK,” she says.
Over the past 15 years over 90 individuals, churches, businesses and organizations have provided support for the project, including Pioneer Seed and the North Caradoc St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, the Komoka United Church, Knox Presbyterian Church, also in Komoka, and New St. James Presbyterian in nearby London.
Today, Ray and Mary are retired from farming. Their farm, where the project is located, is now owned by his nephew and niece, Victor and Yvonne Richardson.
“We’re continuing the family tradition,” says Victor of how they remain committed to keeping the project going. “It feels good and worthwhile to be helping others.”