Foods resource bank growing projects

This is a sign to a growing project field sponsored by Lansing Presbyterian Church, one of the project’s participating congregations. Photo by Debbie Dennis.

1. What is a community growing project?
2. What shall we grow?
3. Getting started
4. Required resources
5. Financing your project
6. What happens after harvest?
7. What happens to the grain?
8. How do I financially support foods resource bank projects?
9. How much of the proceeds goes for overhead?
10. How will our project make a difference?
11. Getting started

What is a community growing project?

A community growing project is a unique and rewarding way for communities in the United States to raise money to fund food security programs — a long-term solution to the problem of world hunger — in villages in the developing world.

A typical project involves a group of people getting together to farm a common plot of land. Once harvested, the crop is converted to cash, which is donated to FRB to supply seeds, tools, drip irrigation, animals and instruction to local villagers who work to create community gardens, wells, herds, etc., that will sustain them long-term.

Organizing a successful community growing project takes a committed group of volunteers, land, some creative fundraising and publicity, and lots of good, honest work!

Despite the challenges, community growing projects have tremendous benefits. You'll feel a sense of achievement and build community spirit. You'll gain a new appreciation for farming, learn about food security issues and work together with many others to achieve a common goal: helping hungry people in the developing world know the dignity and pride of feeding themselves.

Most importantly, you will help reduce world hunger by using the talents you have been blessed with and encouraging others to contribute their talents as well.

What shall we grow?

The choice is entirely up to you. If you're willing to share and the crop can be sold, we're willing to do what we can to use the resources you provide. Climate, crop rotation, availability of seed and the value you'll get on delivery will help you determine what to grow. In the Midwest, corn and soybeans are the most popular, but we've also had pumpkins, ornamental gourds and shrubs, hay, winter wheat and even beef cattle!

Getting started

Growing projects are not the responsibility of the pastor. The pastor can help identify potential leaders, add his or her spiritual blessing and endorsement, and then become a "cheerleader" for the effort. A leader is needed to convene a group of like-minded people who have a passion for overcoming world hunger. The initial organizer may or may not become the eventual project chair, but is the catalyst for organizing the group. This group soon structures into an ad hoc leadership committee. There should be a chairperson, a secretary, a treasurer and someone to handle publicity and community relations. Inclusion of other farmers, people with farming backgrounds, general business people, agribusiness people and community "thought leaders" is useful. However, wherever "two or three are gathered together" with God's help, a lot can happen!

It is the committee's responsibility to determine the structure, size and scope of the project. Planning all aspects of the project as early in the crop year as possible is highly recommended.

The structure your project takes will be unique to your community. Some of our past projects have been:

• organized by a single church or a group of churches
• organized by a group of farmers
• as small as 10 acres or well over 200 acres
• a collective effort, involving everyone in a community
• a "twinning" project between a rural and urban or suburban community

Foods Resource Bank will also help. We are available to meet with you and your group, in person or by telephone, to provide support in the form of information or ideas and share stories with you about previous projects.

Required resources

Land – The first, and most important, requirement for a growing project is land! Most groups are fortunate enough to have the annual use of the land donated to them. A farmer may "carve out" a portion of his/her land for use as an annual gift. There may be land near metropolitan areas that was purchased for plant expansion or appreciation that is currently idle. There is "heartstring land," land that has been in a family for 3 or 4 generations. "Mom and Dad" now live in town, the income is nice, but not necessary for their lifestyle. What a wonderful way to honor their heritage and the Lord by making this land available on an annual basis.

Other groups pay the going rental rate for land and therefore require financial resources to cover the cost.

Inputs – Seed, fertilizer, weed and insect control, etc. A spokesman from the group, usually an involved farmer, can approach agribusiness suppliers for a donation or a good price. Many agricultural businesses actually want to get involved once they learn about the merits of this program. Including the name of the business on your field signs is excellent way to say thanks to these supporters.

Expertise – who better than a farmer to give you advice on planting a crop?

Machinery – most farmers will offer their equipment to plant or harvest the crop as their gift.

Volunteers – the more people you involve in your project, the more you can spread the work around.

Finances – you don't have to be a farmer to get involved. Why not consider contributing financially to cover production costs or plan a fundraising activity in your church or community to raise donations? As a rule of thumb, depending on the area, you usually need to budget between $100 and $200 per acre to cover costs which are not donated. For this amount, non-farm families are sponsoring an acre!

Financing your project

There is more than one way to finance a community growing project.

Some groups choose to solicit cash donations to cover those costs which are not donated. Most also encourage donations of land, products or services. The program is highly flexible.

Rural communities have the land, equipment and farm management know-how, but in today's farm economy, may be short on cash. City churches families can financially back a project but have no land. "Twinning" these groups together allows both to share their strengths.

Don't be shy about asking for support. You'd be surprised how much local people and businesses want to help when you tell them about what you are doing. In the past, groups have received donations of:

• seed
• fertilizer & chemicals
• food/refreshments
• labor
• trucking & fuel
• machinery
• production of field signs

What happens after harvest?

Harvest celebrations are often held to celebrate growing projects. Photo by Debbie Dennis.

After your crop is harvested, you will need to deliver it to a grain elevator company. Elevator managers help us collect and monetize the grain (turn the grain into cash).

We recommend you call Foods Resource Bank when your crop is planted. Keeping us informed of your progress is a good idea and we will be able to give you guidance. We also have information for you to give to your elevator manager, our printed logo for your field signs, donation forms to designate where your monies will be used, templates for thank-you letters to your donors and sponsors, FRB note-cards for personal acknowledgments, and other support materials.

You should also check with the elevator manager to ensure space is available and your delivery can be accommodated. A strong relationship with your elevator manager is important. He or she will market your grain and has access to input suppliers, so try to involve your local elevator manager in your project wherever possible.

Most growing projects, especially those that have "twinned" rural and urban communities, share in a "Harvest Celebration," always at the rural church, with a dedication service, pot-luck luncheon, and combine rides, all of which renews a sense of rural-urban connectedness, acknowledges our country's bounty, and reinforces the joy of knowing that your hard work has the potential to change the lives of hungry people overseas.

What happens to the grain?

Because shipping the grain from the Midwest to a port city, shipping it overseas and then getting it to hungry people is tremendously expensive, all of the grain will be monetized by the local elevator, with the proceeds ultimately going to FRB. If emergency food is necessary, we feed more people if we source the grain as close to the need as possible. Also, as Christians, we do not want to place U.S. grain on an emerging in-country agriculture and squash their initiative. We want to use the proceeds to purchase seed, tools, fertilizer, wells, drip irrigation, etc. to help people start growing food and feeding themselves.

How do I financially support foods resource bank projects?

You may give online through the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Web site to support PDA-supported Foods Resource Banks projects or by mail to the following address, specifying DR000182.

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
P.O. Box 643700
Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700

You may give directly to FRB. Each implementing member has its own account within the FRB bank. You may assign all or part of your project's proceeds to a member's account. For example, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is a member of FRB, with an account that can receive the proceeds of your growing project for use in an FRB-approved program.

You may designate your project proceeds to a specific in-country program supported by FRB.  Presbyterian Disaster Assistance currently supports projects in Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, North Korea, Guatemala and Peru.  You may designate the country by making a note on your check or in the comments box online when giving through Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) or when giving directly to FRB.

All sustainable food security programs, which help people feed themselves, are proposed, initiated, monitored, completed and reported on by members of FRB. Our members have proven in-country partners whose local staff works with villagers to identify problems and come up with solutions suited to their specific needs.

How much of the proceeds goes for overhead?

It is important to note that FRB's operational costs are raised from separate cash contributions provided by its members and other donors, and are contained within a separate operational budget. Thus, 100 percent of the revenues provided by FRB growing projects goes toward supporting sustainable food security programs through FRB's members and their in-country partners.

Will our project make a difference?

All donations, no matter what the size, allow our members to carry out meaningful programs that work. Hungry people who receive assistance from Foods Resource Bank survive on much less than the average person living in the developed world. Although we don't ship the grain, as an index for comparison, note that:

• one ton of donated grain will feed 2,250 people for a day
• 1 bushel of corn will feed 65 people for one day
• $100 cash will help feed a family of five for three months

We take seriously the trust you place in us. All funds are carefully monitored by our implementing members and FRB. They are distributed through reputable and known agencies. These in-country partners have a proven track record of sustainable food security programming and work with the villagers to help them feed themselves and their families, with extra to share, barter or sell.

By sending proceeds from your growing project to support programs that bring food and security and a sense of self-sufficiency back to our neighbors overseas, we've seen the good that can come from following Christ's directive to share with others. FRB invites you to experience with us the joy of making a difference in the lives of hungry people you may never meet.

Getting started

For more information and support, please contact the FRB area representative nearest you:

Marv Baldwin, president & CEO
Email
Focus area: Chicago, Ill., area; West and Southwest USA

Norm Braksick, volunteer, Regional Field Development
Email
Focus area: Michigan, Indiana, New York, Pennsylvania, East Coast

Ron DeWeerd, director, Development
E-mail
Focus area: North Dakota, South Dakota, western Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska

Doug Harford, Volunteer, Board Chair and Regional Field Development
Email
Focus area: East Central Illinois