2026 Vauxhall Foodgrains Harvest successful

Posted on August 27, 2026 by Vauxhall Advance

By Heather Cameron
Vauxhall Advance
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

On Aug. 11, the Vauxhall & District Growing Project harvested their 24th crop.

“We had an excellent turnout from the community, both in terms of general attendance to visit and watch the combines,” explained Kerby Redekop, Vauxhall farmer and spokesperson for the group. “In terms of harvest support from local farms, we had 17 combines, nine grain carts, and 15 trucks. This level of attendance obviously represents broad support and involvement from both the wider community and the local farm community.”

The harvest, Redekop stated, took about 2.5 hours to complete, after which half the barley was delivered to local feedlots, and half the barley got put into short-term storage to deliver at the end of this month. Every load, Redekop says, was weighed, and after dockage deductions, the net crop yield totalled 168 bushels per acre, which is a pretty outstanding barley yield. 

“All in all, we would say that 2026 has been another very successful year for our local Growing Project,” said Redekop.

The project, Redekop continued, was established on land belonging to a family a few miles north of Vauxhall who offered to rent land to the project and the organizing committee decided to grow feed barley on that land, as prices looked decent relative to other grain prices, and barley is always relatively easy to deliver off combine to local feedlots. 

The 2026 growing season started out well, Redekop noted, and the crop was seeded in mid-April, and while June was quite wet, the crop handled the extra moisture well.

Redekop added that harvest day actually happened earlier than expected due to weather complications and the group had to make a choice, harvest the barley a bit earlier than ideal because the crop was on the tough side but rain was in the forecast, or wait until after the rain. 

“We chose to harvest early as we had good help lined up, and that decision seems to have turned out well,” said Redekop. “Now that the dust has settled from harvest, once we’ve delivered all the barley and received the proceeds, our organizing committee expects to be able to send a donation to the CFGB’s head office of approximately $150,000. That dollar value represents a significant benefit to both our local community and also other communities around the world, where it seems to me that both communities are getting what they most need.”

The project, Redekop explained, works to bring the Vauxhall community together in a significant way and the group considers it a privilege to help the Canadian Foodgrains Bank to provide crucial and tangible support locally and overseas. 

“Our Growing Project is part of the national work of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB), formed in 1983 to connect Canadian farmers to global food security needs,” explained Redekop. “The work of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank is rooted in the truth and values of the Christian gospel message, where every person is offered ultimate dignity and purpose through a relationship with God and service to each other. These values find pretty straightforward expression when local farmers and farm support businesses are willing to forego their own business profits in order to spend their time, money and other resources in order to grow food for people in other parts of the world who struggle to meet their daily food needs.”

The Canadian Foodgrains Bank, Redekop said, distributes its aid to many local food security projects around the world through partnerships with 15 churches and church-based relief agencies.

“Both our local and international goals are pursued in the name of Jesus, out of our commitment to Christian values,” stated Redekop. “Our local organization is blessed to be part of a community that works together in this way. We recognize and are thankful for all the other organizations in the Vauxhall area that contribute in their own way to building this community; we are just one part of a larger community, and none of us can do it on our own. We also want to thank every single volunteer and supporter who contributed something to our project this year. Every contribution is important and valued.”

Redekop said that anyone who wishes to be involved next year can contact the project at vauxhalldistrictgrowingproject@gmail.com, or by tracking down the organizing committee members throughout the community.