Farmers feed the world – and in the case of Amazeing Grace, a coalition of Iowa farms, businesses and churches, they feed some of the world’s poorest people. Amazeing Grace supports agricultural development programs in sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean, Central America, and in developing countries all around the world.

A twenty-acre cornfield in Grundy County, Iowa, is the latest addition to Amazeing Grace’s donor base. The charity doesn’t ship food to the developing world – that’s not cost-effective. Instead, they sell donated crops on the US market, supplement the funds with donations from other sources, and contribute the money to development programs in the poorest nations on earth through the Foods Resource Bank. The money goes much farther than it would here, and supports local farmers and local food producers instead of undercutting their markets, as many direct food donation programs often unintentionally do.

Amazeing Grace focuses on self-help programs, teaching small farmers around the world how to enhance their incomes and provide educational opportunities for their children. The Foods Resource Bank started in 1999 and consists of 15 Christian denominations (or their aid agencies) that fund projects that supply seeds, livestock, tools, and – most importantly – advanced agronomical knowledge to help poor farmers feed themselves.

The foods bank raised more than $2.6 million last year, through crop donations, private donations, and other funding sources. Last year, Amazeing Grace had 74 acres of corn donated by two Iowa farmers. The harvest of 189 bushels an acre raised more than $60,000 for the food bank.

If you’re interested in working with this charitable organization, they can be contacted via their website, www.foodsresourcebank.org.

Side note to this blog post: I have some friends that run an organization called the Cunningham Foundation. They are extremely active in providing help to the poor orphaned children of Africa.  Although they don’t have a huge agricultural component, I can tell you this; I know them well. I trust their organization, and I encourage you to also check out their website to learn more about what you could do to help.  Please visit http://www.cunninghamfoundation.org