The Manitoba/Ontario Regional Coordinator for the Canadian Food Grains Bank is pleasantly surprised with how good grow projects are looking in Manitoba, despite the unrelenting rain and scattered incidents of hail this summer.

"I haven't had any reports of hail damage on our Food Grains Bank fields this year so far," says Harold Penner. He does admit that some fields are just too wet and some crop has been lost due to excess moisture, but adds by-and-large most crops are reported to be in good shape. Penner adds most of the moisture problems are east and south of Winnipeg.

He hopes these conditions won't cut too much into yields.

"I guess that's the advantage of having a farm that's spread out all over Manitoba, we tend to get the averages but overall it looks like it's a very good average this year."

As for disease, Penner says it is a concern but remains optimistic.

"I think all the better crops people are quite quick on putting on fungicides, it'll only be some of the crops that are already decimated that won't have that done. At this point we are very optimistic, it should be a good crop."

And while there aren't any new grow projects in Manitoba this year, a first in some time, Penner does say there are a number that are reaching the twenty year mark.

Penner adds hard wheat, soybeans and canola make up the bulk of the crops this season but there's also winter wheat, barley, fall rye, corn, alfalfa for hay and a few acres of sunflowers. He says the fall rye is ripening up well.

Meantime, Penner says the big threshing bee is coming up on July 31st in Austin and hopes people will come out and support the cause or lend a hand by volunteering.