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A Surrey farmer who donates his produce to BC Food Banks has had his ties with the organization severed because of unresolved questions surrounding the charity of his farm.
God’s Little Acre (GLA) donated potatoes to the food bank in 2011 and between 2011 and 2013 this same food bank also received other donations of mixed produce. In late 2013 GLA no longer donated to the local food bank. In an open letter from Food Banks BC executive director Laura Lansink explains why the organization has chosen not to receive donations from the farm.
“Since 2013 a number of Food Banks BC members have raised the following concerns regarding the activities of the principal of God’s Little Acre, concerns that have, to date, not been addressed by him,” said Lansink.
Food Banks BC polled it members from around the province and with one exception, they have been unable to find any member food bank that can track a donation from the principal of God’s Little Acre after 2013, she goes on to say. While the member food bank did contract out GLA as a grower, donations were not received.
The issues Lansink brought up in her letter includes the fact that the farm solicited some of the food banks for “seed money” which would go back into the harvest. The food quality from the farm has been questionable in the past as one donation was deemed unfit for human consumption.
“Food bank members have reported that significant donor confusion has arisen,” Lansink adds. “The principal of God’s Little Acre has approached donors in the communities where some of our food bank members operate. Those donors have been asked by him to invest in seed and equipment money for his farm so that the local food banks could benefit from it. The implication to donors is that our member food banks are supportive of this initiative and are aware of his approaching donors and advising that he is soliciting money to assist our member food banks.”
Photo Credit: God's Little Acre
She also points out that the farm is not a registered charity and that is of concern to them. Lansink has made recommendations for the farm which includes; disclosing to volunteers that there are for profit crops being grown on the farm, not imply to donors, volunteers or supports that the farm is a registered charity, and not imply that his crops are for the food bank or other related dependents such as soup kitchens and shelters.
“We would like to thank the principal of God’s Little Acre for working to bring the issues of hunger to the attention of his local community and for his innovative approaches to addressing the needs of the hungry. We hope he will accept our recommendations to him as we believe they will help all of us to continue to work in a completely transparent and open way, helping us to achieve a hunger free British Columbia,” stated Lansink.
The owner, Jas Singh has defended his farm by posting his side of the story on Facebook. He says that the open letter does not represent the entire story and that his reputation is being ruined by the claims of the Food Banks BC.
Singh has reached out to the local media in the Lower Mainland with the hopes of clearing his name and the confusion surrounding what has been going on with his local food bank.
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