Norquay residents and grain producers are responsible for a donation of more than $100,000 that is being sent to Africa to help farmers in need of food, seed and tools.

On Friday, Greg, Nathan and Paul Hudye, representing Hudye Farms at Norquay, presented a cheque of $20,355 to former Norquay resident Ray Baloun of Minnedosa, Man., who began the Kernels of Hope program in Norquay four years ago.

Kernels of Hope is affiliated with the Canadian Food Grains Bank and donations to it result in a matching donation of four-to-one by the Canadian International Development Agency, resulting in a total donation of $101,775.

That amount, generated by Hudye Farms and Hudye Soil Services, is to be directed into programs that provide food for those in dire need and for the purchase of seed and tools to help farms in South Awiel County in Sudan, Africa, Baloun said.

The Hudye donation represents proceeds from the five five-acre trial fields of crops grown this year. The trial fields were featured at the 10^th annual Field of Dreams tour in July, when a record of more than 500 persons attended to see leading-edge research, new technologies, new practices and new genetics and chemistry put to the test.

Grown in the five trial fields were high-yielding varieties of canola and wheat.

“Helping Feed the World” was the theme of the tour in this, the 25^th anniversary year of both, Hudye Soil Services and the Canadian Food Grains Bank. The “Helping Feed the World” slogan has become the motto of Hudye Soil Services, said Braden Hudye, vice president and sales manager of Hudye Soil Services.

In these times when concerns are raised about the ability to produce enough food for a growing global population, producers are eager to rise to the challenge, incorporating all available research to produce more, Hudye said. It is necessary to maximize yields and productivity to meet the increasing demands for food.

The Field of Dreams tours endeavour to demonstrate that improved yields outweigh the increases in variable costs, fertilizer inputs and weed, disease and insect control, he said.

The donation to Sudan provides hope to those who often have none, Baloun said. World news has never before highlighted the problems of hunger and access to food as much as is now being done and everyone who is contributing in this way is making a difference at a time when it is so important.

Baloun went to Africa in 2007 when he discovered that local partners in the affected countries are using the money received from donations from Canada efficiently.

Efforts are made to assure that there is no waste of the funds, he said.

Returning to Canada Baloun brought the sincere thanks of the recipients of the Canadian donations.

“A difference is being made around the world from right here in Norquay,” Baloun said.