Some crops ripening on fields the Pembina Valley will be instrumental in the fight against hunger.

A number of local farmers have responded to world hunger by offering up their fields, time and equipment for Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFB) harvests. Supporters plant, tend and sell the crop, donating all proceeds to the organization. Local projects are taking place near Winkler, Morden and Carman.

"It's amazing, they do this alongside their own work during the busiest time of the year," Gordon Janzen, CFB Manitoba Rep.

Ben Friesen oversees the SHARE project which includes approximately 500 acres on a number of fields near Morden. He says the soybeans have been advancing well, but a good rain is still needed. It's expected the project will raise over $200,000. In the last six years, SHARE alone has donated back $1 million to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. The federal government is also in the middle of a five year commitment to quadrupling all funds raised.

Friesen has also travelled to some of the countries CFB supports, including Ethiopia.

"They work for their food on a day-to-day basis," he says. "We think we need our freezers full for a whole year."

Janzen notes one stat that motivates is 815 million people go hungry, or one in nine of the global population.

Brian Burrows, grow project coordinator in Miami, explains while they don't have a harvest project this year, an account has been set up at the local Access Credit Union for those wishing to make a donation. He notes the cause resonated with local farmers, seeing food and seed sent to those who need it most.

"We're so fortunate to have good growing areas in Southern Manitoba," Burrows says, noting farmers in other regions overseas have to deal with government corruption or civil war while trying to bring in a crop.

More CFB harvests are expected to get underway in early September.