Farm Credit Canada's first Drive Away Hunger tour through Yorkton collected 21,275 lbs of food in a single day last week.
The grand total for Yorkton and surrounding area, which included tours through Melville, Canora, and various small towns, was 70,262 lbs.
"It's to raise awareness of hunger in rural Canada and to collect cash and food donations to support local food banks," explained Derwin Arnstead, vice-president of prairie operations for FCC. Arnstead was among about 30 volunteers on hand to help with the tour.
Farm tractors - three of them in Yorkton on Thursday - toured communities across Canada between September 20 and October 15. Each pulled a trailer which schools, residents, and businesses loaded up with donated food at stops around town.
The tractors were loaned by John Deere, New Holland, and Case dealers, who also provided volunteer drivers. Weighing and hauling of the food was done by FCC employees.
Some residents couldn't wait for the tour's designated stops, said Arnstead. When they saw a tractor driving by, they would flag it down and give whatever they had on hand.
"We're very pleased with it, and we're a bit overwhelmed by the response from the community."
At the end of the day, the three tractors stopped at the Salvation Army and the Soup Haven to unload.
Donators could designate which of the two food banks would receive their contributions.
"It's absolutely incredible. It just leaves you speechless," said Soup Haven director Kathy Connors as the food was being unloaded.
The Drive Away Hunger campaign came to Yorkton at an ideal time, said Connors. Between this summer's flood and skyrocketing rent and utility bills, the city's low-income citizens have been left in great need.
"You can't go without your power being on, and you can't go without your heat being on, so you cut back on the food bill. And usually that's cut back by going heavy on starches, heavy on yellow packaging, you know, things like that."
The food banks are also forgotten by many after the Christmas season, so such a large donation in the fall is especially appreciated.
"It's absolutely beyond what I could have asked or imagined," Connors said.
