We had a very productive year last year, in spite of the Covid-19 Pandemic, with all of the restrictions that came with it.
We continue to be in awe of your faithful donations of your time as volunteers, your treasure and our many donors who continue to supply us with the product required for us to continue doing GOD’s work of helping to feed the hungry of the world. God has been extremely faithful in providing for all our needs over the last 13 years, we are confident that He will continue to do so well into the future.
We held our AGM (Annual General Meeting) on March 19th at Hillcrest Evangelical Church, but again could not include our usual fundraising meal due to the pandemic.
At the AGM we held the election of officers, which involves half of the board needing to be elected every year. This year, due to three board members possibly leaving due to their terms expiring, we by acclamation, welcomed all three of them back.
Our new board consists of the following people:
- President: Jack Reddekopp
- Vice-President: Steve Mowers
- Secretary: Clarence Dyck
- Treasurer: Jim Grossman
- Past President: Ed Codding
- Director: Roy Hjelte
We also have two employees both of whom are part time, who we could not live without.
Our Plant Manager, Ken Martens, is the most wonderful easy going, patient man I have ever met, he somehow makes the most unappealing job seem like a wonderful promotion.
Our Office Coordinator, Debra Mowers, makes our job as directors much easier. She has organized the office to the point that it is a pleasure coming here to volunteer. She is probably the most organized person I know.
Where our food went last year.
2021 Statistics:
We had 227 workdays for the year. We received 267,913 kg of product, which equates to 1,080 kg (2,597 lbs.) produce used per day 4,575 racks were filled during the year (average of 20.15 racks per day).
- Potatoes – 87,630 kg
- Carrots – 65,543 kg
- Tomatoes – 39,378 kg
- Lentils (Dry) – 19,091 kg
- Peppers – 17,638 kg
- Cabbage – 12,381 kg
- Rutabagas – 10,388 kg
- Celery – 4,585 kg
- Onions – 3,821 kg
- Beans (Viterra) – 3,196 kg
- Broccoli – 2,016 kg
- Beans/Quinoa/Rice – 612 kg
- Green Beans – 455 kg
- Parsnips – 424 kg
- Mangos – 233 kg
- Garlic/Cauliflower/Peas – 206 kg
- Corn – 175 kg
- Radishes – 65 kg
- Cauliflower – 55 kg
- Kale – 35 kg
- Beets – 22 kg
- Lettuce – 9 kg
- Green Onions – 5 kg
- Total – 267,913 kg
Shipments in 2021:
We sent shipments to Venezuela, Nicaragua, Dominican, Ukraine, Guatemala, Honduras, Philippians, as well as locally the Mustard Seed Medicine Hat.
On the way to the Ukraine via Edmonton with help from a new NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) called Amigo Relief Missions.
Volunteers in 2021:
We had over 17,951 volunteer hours provided during the year, and averaged 22.6 volunteers per day. Of production throughout the year (20.97 in 2020; 22.2 in 2019; 20.92 in 2018; 20.85 in 2017; 23.36 in 2016; 22.63 in 2015).
The highest turnout was 46 (Saturday, March 13, 2021) and the lowest turnout was Saturday, November 6, 2021.
Volunteer Appreciation Week April 17th to 23rd , 2022.
Contact Roy Hjelte, the Board Member responsible for the activities for the week. He has been busy planning activities for the week.
Spring Festival:
Saturday May 14th at Hillcrest Evangelical Church. At 6pm. Dinner Tickets are $30.00
Some methods you can use to support the Prairie Gleaners through donations are:
- ETransfer auto deposit to our email address: [email protected]
- By mail to Prairie Gleaners at PO Box 656, Medicine Hat, AB T1A 7G6
- Drop off at the plant at 11502 Range Road 63, Cypress County
- Online through out website using either Visa, MasterCard or Pay Pal. Visit our Donate page for more information.
- Consider leaving a legacy to the Gleaners in your will.
We welcome and count on your continued support in every way going forward. The budget for 2022 has been set at $167,500.00 and we ask that you continue to prayerfully continue supporting the work of helping feed the hungry of the world.
We have had a number of requests for food in the last few months, and are waiting for confirmation from our NGO’s as to when and where these shipments are needed, Worldwide food shortages are on the rise as you can imagine from seeing the unstable conditions in Europe as well as the result of the pandemic which has not ended as yet. Hopefully we will be getting more spring and summer vegetables soon to add to our mix for a better variety.
Looking to the future:
As you have probably noticed our expansion has started. This is a picture of the outer shell poles for the building. The size of the expansion is 40’ X 100’.
Big Marble Farms, and their partners Capstone Concrete, TANC Developments, Alta-Wide Builders Supplies, Spider Electric Ltd., Inland Concrete, Benchmark Geomatics Inc., and Art’s Excavating are constructing the outer shell, including concrete floor, exterior walls and roof.
The cost of the required infrastructure (the interior walls, etc.) to complete the expansion must be borne by the Prairie Gleaners.
Some items to consider for donation opportunities.
- To cover the cost of a roll of teflon to line our dehydrating trays: $735.00
- Donate to cover the cost of 20 sheets of teflon to line one rack of trays: $205.00
- Donate to cover the cost of our Monthly Utilities (gas, electricity): $1500.00 per month
- Donate to cover the cost of bags for our vegetable mix $0.11 each
- Donate to cover the cost of one stainless steel Donate cutting table: $350.00
- Donate to cover the cost of a lift of our vegetable mix: $2,775.00
- Donate to cover the cost of a box of our vegetable mix: $35.00
- Donate to cover the cost of a bag of our vegetable mix: $4.95
- Donate to cover the cost of fuel for the truck for one month: $250.00
- Donate to cover the cost of a rack for the dehydrators: $450.00 each
- Donate to cover the cost of trays for the dryer racks: $9.00 each
- Donate to cover the cost of a large white macro-bin: $375.00
- Donate to cover the cost of a small micro-bin: $275.00
Thank you for being a faithful partner in this work!
