A Morris area farmer is donating a field of his canola to a program that supports two schools in Africa 
 
Art Enns harvested 40 acres of canola this year, the proceeds of which are earmarked for the Manyinga School Project in Zambia.
 
The program provides orphans and vulnerable children with a formal education, but it also includes teaching children about agriculture and providing them with the tools and resources needed to farm.
 
"In that remote area of the world, the only way that you could survive is through farming," said Enns. "Now, how does a child learn how to farm if he has no parents, grandparents or any family left anymore because a lot of them are not only orphans but also refugees from civil wars. They had no way of gaining any agricultural knowledge, so I thought this was a special program."
 
The Manyinga Project was started in the 1990s with just 15 students enrolled in the schools. That number has now grown to over 400 students.
 
The sale of Enns' canola crop amounted to almost $25,000, all of which was donated to the two schools. He is quick to point out that he had some excellent partners helping him on this project. Canterra Seeds, Paterson Grain, Omex Agriculture, and GJ Chemical all helped with input costs such as seed and fertilizer.
 
"We had a phenomenal crop, unbelievable, it turned out really well, and it's a real blessing to be able to contribute to this program."
 
According to Enns, the proceeds from the sale of the crop will cover well over half of the operating budget for the two schools.