The Thunder Bay Community Growing Project began in the early 1980s as a group of farmers with the goal of supporting the Canadian Foodgrains Bank and their world hunger relief programs. The farmers planted grain, harvested, and shipped the grain to impoverished nations to aid in hunger relief. This model changed in the late 2000s to selling the grain at local elevators, and donating the proceeds earned to Canadian Foodgrains Bank. As the years passed, volunteers found it difficult to coordinate the planting and harvesting in the fields.

In 2022, a newly invigorated committee developed a new strategy of a gala & auction event to raise funds to support Canadian Foodgrains Bank. That year, a successful event raised $5000! In 2023, we added the local hunger relief support. Producers in Thunder Bay area donated animals, which were then processed and donated to five charities in Thunder Bay. Through this initiative, we were able to donate 4000 pounds of locally raised beef and pork to those in need. Along with the local support, we were able to raise nearly $15,000 in support of Canadian Foodgrains Bank to support their global hunger relief efforts! 

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The volunteer committee, the Thunder Bay agriculture community, our sponsors and supporters continue to support moving into the 2024 year, allowing us to continue our mission to growing a world without hunger one community at a time.