We’ve been remiss in not writing a post earlier this week. While going about the farm chores of feeding, watering, and moving livestock, we have also been glued to the news about the fires south of us as well as the one outside of Lillooet, which was licking at the heels of our very good friends. There are many farmers that we know personally in the Summerland region, as well as ranchers impacted by the Bradley Creek wildfire. Events that you can prepare for, but that you can never be ready for.
Last Saturday morning Annelise was up early, anticipating a drive to the Penticton Farmers’ Market. It would have been our first time attending this year, and we were looking forward to getting out in the community. The freezers were stocked and strapped down, and I was making a coffee at 4:45 am when I read the email that all of Summerland had been evacuated and the farmers’ market canceled to make space in the downtown for evacuees and emergency response. We are deeply saddened by the magnitude of loss that the community there has experienced, and I’m finding it hard to look ahead, to plan for our farm and community’s future with so many climate catastrophes marked on the calendar.
But the farm requires that we keep farming, that we look for solutions to water management problems that we are facing as a region, and that we implore our neighbours, local governments, and communities at large to manage land responsibly and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions wherever possible.
It is a lot to keep in our minds all at once, but we do believe that better land management can have real impact on our soils water-holding capacity, carbon sequestration, and that on livestock farms it can also mean much higher animal welfare, and ultimately far more nutritious meats for our customers.
This is just one piece of the puzzle, but it’s the one that we work on.
Thank you for supporting what we do, even when times are challenging.
With gratitude always,
Annelise, Steve, Finley and Etta
**this post was copied from a newsletter that Annelise sent out on August 12 or 13. To keep abreast of news on the farm subscribe!**
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