We can’t all be missionaries across the waters, but we can do our mission work here in Moorefield. It’s a great cause, a wonderful cause.”
That’s how Irvin Kraemer, general manager of Reapers of Hope, describes the efforts of the volunteer-based operation, which turns excess produce from Canadian fields into meals for those in need in Third World countries.
The group is an arm of Christian Aid Ministries (CAM) of Waterloo, which was founded in 1984 as a non-profit charitable organization through which Amish and Mennonite churches and individuals could “minister to physical and spiritual needs around the world,” the CAM website states.
CAM is based in Ohio and the Waterloo arm of the organization was headquartered in Wallenstein until opening operations at the former Rona building centre property in Moorefield.
CAM purchased the building in 2012 and converted the warehouse facility into a modern food processing plant that opened in April.
The Wallenstein facility is still used for sorting donated clothes, but the administration, headed by Kraemer and longtime CAM secretary Delphine Horst, is now run from the Moorefield location, which also includes a Christian book store.
Reapers of Hope is one of numerous aid programs operated by CAM worldwide. Others programs involve sponsoring orphans overseas, working to help eastern European families become self-sufficient, disaster response services and distributing medicine in Third World locations.
The idea of a food production facility flows from the abundance – in fact, over-abundance – of produce grown in this country.
“We live in a productive, blessed land and there are a lot of vegetables grown,” said Kraemer. “A lot of it is graded out and doesn’t make table stock.”
Producers donate tons of vegetables that may be too large or unsuitable for stores shelves for other reasons but are suitable for consumption.
At the Moorefield facility, volunteers cut and cull the produce, which is washed and dehydrated to form a healthy vegetable soup mix. The soup is packaged in vacuum-sealed three-pound bags, each of which, after soaking overnight in 25 litres of water, can provide 100 meals. Running at full capacity, Kraemer said the plant can produce about 800 bags, enough to provide 80,000 meals, in a single day.
“It’s just incredible,” said Kraemer. “We feel blessed to be able to produce this much food so that we can feed the hungry and the needy across the ocean.”
Between 40 and 50 volunteers are needed during mornings when the plant is operating. In the afternoons, only a few workers are needed to run the drying operations. Starting this month, production is up to four days a week.
Volunteers come from the various Mennonite churches in the area, as well as from other local churches and individual volunteers.
Although Reapers of Hope is run through a Mennonite organization, Kraemer notes “everyone is welcome to help out.”
Volunteers are given some basic training then put right to work sorting and cutting produce.
When the vegetables arrive, they are stored in a cooler until needed for processing. Then, bags and containers of produce must be opened. The vegetables are then dumped into a washer. Cutting boards and two long conveyor belts in the cutting room efficiently provide an area for the vegetables to be trimmed and chopped in preparation for the dicer.
Volunteers feed the vegetables onto the top conveyor belts, trim vegetables and provide containers to collect the trimmed vegetables as they return on the bottom belt, which are then diced and dried.
While volunteers must be at least 14 years old, Kraemer points out there is no upper age limit and stools are provided for those who prefer to sit while they work. The building, which was renovated largely by volunteers except for specialized work like plumbing and electrical, is spacious and fully accessible.
Both volunteers and vegetables have been plentiful so far, but Kraemer said it may be more difficult to run at full capacity through the early summer months.
“That will be a challenge during June and July … last year’s crop will be pretty much diminished and the new year’s crop won’t be coming up until August,” he explained.
Quoting the manager of the Christian Gleaners, a similar CAM operation in Cambridge, Kraemer said, “it will take a lot of prayers for the months of July and August to keep us going.”
The challenges of summer aside, Kraemer said the goal is for Reapers of Hope to be a year-round operation.
Once the food is processed, the soup mix is packaged in large barrels for transportation to a CAM facility in Ephrata, Pennsylvania for distribution around the globe to the needy in countries like Romania, Haiti, South Korea, Liberia and Cambodia.
For now, Kraemer says, the Moorefield operation produces only the soup mix, which includes such vegetables as asparagus, potatoes, beets, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, mushrooms, squash, zucchini and tomatoes. Eventually, he notes, the operation may move into production of apples and pears, which are dried and used as healthy snack food.
“At this point we’re not sure if we will be doing that,” he said.
Reapers of Hope accepts donations of food and monetary contributions, in addition to volunteer help. The organization estimates each dollar donated translates into seven meals. It can be contacted by calling the office at 519-638-0828 or through e-mail at admin@camcanada.ca.
