LangleyAdvance
The class of 1961 pg A11
Your community newspaper since 1931
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
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Agriculture
Dismal weather hits farmers The cold spring is sowing frustration for Langley farmers and their crops.
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Audited circulation: 41,100 – 24 pages
“As a small farmer, I haven’t had a good year in about five years now,” Davidson said. The cold weather is even affecting plants grown under glass. Bevo Farms in Langley has a sizeable greenhouse operation by Matthew Claxton on Glover Road. In the winter, mclaxton@langleyadvance.com they focus on hothouse vegeLangley farmers are feeling the tables, but at this time of the year pressure as spring weather has they’re sprouting bedding plants finally arrived, weeks late. for gardens. It’s no secret to anyone who Unfortunately, the cool weather has stuck their head out a winmeans many people haven’t startdow that this has not been the ed their gardens yet, said owner warmest or driest spring for the Leo Benne. Lower Mainland. “For the bedding plant sales, it Production at farms around hasn’t been great,” he said. Langley is between two weeks Because people aren’t planting, to a month behind schedule, they aren’t buying from garden depending on the crops. supply stores, and those stores At Glorious Organics, a farmaren’t ordering from Bevo. ing co-op in “Everything just Aldergrove, it’s backs up, and the “I haven’t had a good product doesn’t about two to three year in about five weeks behind, improve while it said farmer Susan sits in the greenyears now.” Davidson. house,” Benne Susan Davidson “Imagine being said. a plant out in that However, he weather,” she said. wasn’t yet ready to label it a bad Glorious Organics grows vegeyear. It will take until June to see tables for local markets, particuhow things shake out, he said. larly for restaurants in Vancouver As for what he wants, Benne and local farmers markets. would like to see weather “just Most of their crops are slow in like today,” he said on Friday, moving from heated tables under sunny with temperatures of 18 to plastic to the fields. 20 degrees. “The ones in the field are comGary Jones, a horticulture ing along, but certainly not as instructor at Kwantlen Polytechnic quickly as in years gone by,” University’s Langley campus, is Davidson said. blunt about the weather. Most plants need temperatures “It’s a nightmare,” he said. of 10 C or more, not to mention He noted that last year, while a certain amount of light. They the spring was cool, light levels didn’t get those conditions for for greenhouse growers were most of March or April. actually not bad. However, hardy weeds can This year they’ve been way grow under tougher, colder condown thanks to the cloud cover. ditions. “It’s been a horribly dark “They’re out there just growing spring,” Jones said. their hearts out,” Davidson said. He estimates yields of greenThe weather has given a head house tomatoes, cucumbers, and start to weeds, slugs, and rabbits, other hothouse vegetables have she fears. declined about 15 per cent. It’s not just this spring that’s Whether the weather is getting been cold. Erratic weather or consistently worse, Jones can’t sudden cold snaps seem to have say. been a feature of the past several “Every year seems to bring springs. some new record,” he said.
Matthew Claxton/Langley Advance
Susan Davidson of Glorious Organics surveys some of the plants that haven’t yet been planted in the fields. Cold weather has delayed planting.
Fraser River
No flooding fears for lower Fraser River River levels may be above normal, but the situation is not as bad as in 2007. by Matthew Claxton mclaxton@langleyadvance.com
Provincial government experts do not believe that heavy snowpacks and a cool
spring will cause major floods on the Lower Fraser River. Langley and its neighbours will likely avoid the worst effects of high water that is causing flooding in parts of the Interior. According to Dave Campbell, of the River Forecast Centre, snowpack levels in the upper Fraser basin are currently about 110 to 115 per cent above normal levels.
That’s still below the 138 per cent levels seen in 2007, when authorities up and down the Fraser readied for a potentially catastrophic flood. Water levels were slow to rise because cold temperatures delayed the melting of snow, but are now catching up to normal. Peak flows and high water on the Fraser are usually seen in late May and early June.