Dear Editor,
Re: “We have so much to grow,” Letters, March 22.
I wanted to share my concern for the topic expressed by Laura Gillanders, as well as my affliction to a point brought up.
As the grand-daughter of the farming family who had their previous home showcased in a photograph within this public-opinion piece, I felt it was very insensitive to make a point regarding how “even a few farmers are making fortunes turning small farms into speculative estates.”
It is one thing to bring attention to the developers, the contractors, and the local municipal and provincial governments who are greatly impacting the cost and use of farmland, but it is another to do so to the few farming families and legacies left in the city of Richmond.
My grandparents were immigrants to Canada 59 years ago — coming to this country with nothing more than a few pennies on hand. It took countless years of hard work and resiliency while living in Richmond to start a farm, let alone build it to a large-scale operation. My grandparents lived and breathed farming, and the farm itself was a place of haven for our entire family (despite the hard work associated with the profession).
It was only when my grandfather was diagnosed with cancer, and later passed away, that the farm was no longer viable and had to close its doors. If it weren’t for this diagnosis, I am confident my grandparents would be farming well into their 80s much like many of their farming friends in the community.
Selling the farm was a very emotional experience for all those involved, and money was the least of my grandmother’s concerns. Our family tried to secure deals with local farmers and equine operations in hopes to keep the farm “a farm,” however after countless deals slipped through, it became clear that the only buyers able to afford the land at land value may have had ulterior motives and intent for the land for future use beyond our control. I think I can speak for many of those in the farming community in saying that we want to keep our farms as farms — not as mega mansions.
I believe the greater issue at hand here is the fact that young farmers cannot afford to farm in Richmond any longer to take over the land from the aging farmer population, let alone purchase large-scale properties — thus we are seeing an influx of farmers moving to the Fraser Valley and onwards.
As frustrating as this issue is for the greater community, I encourage those who support local farmers to continue speaking up on the topic to push for a change, however be mindful of the message they are speaking up about and those it effects.
Robyn Freiheit
Surrey
