Key takeaways:
- The GAHC stepped in to help after the November 2021 floods wreaked havoc on the dairy industry, donating 41 bred heifers to those in need in the Abbotsford area.
- Van Den Pol was the one who suggested that the beleaguered farmers be helped, and a committee was formed to reach out to the community.
A generous donation from a cattle group in the Lethbridge area has arrived in British Columbia.
After the November 2021 floods wreaked havoc on the dairy industry, the Green Acres Holstein Club (GAHC) stepped in to help, donating 41 bred heifers to those in need in the Abbotsford area.
One of the manufacturers who will remember the day the floods began is Richard Bosma.
He got notice to evacuate his farm early on Nov. 16 and spent the day moving cows and calves with the help of many neighbors and dairy producers.
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“That night, Tuesday night, I had no idea what I was going to find the next morning,” Bosma said.
Many dairy farmers in the Abbotsford area, including Bosma, were affected by the floods.
Bosma met a few members of the GAHC through Holstein Canada, including Gys Van Den Pol.
Van Den Pol was the one who came up with the idea of assisting the beleaguered farmers, and a committee was formed to reach out to the community.
“We had 36 heifers pledged for this project in three days,” said Tim Hummel, president of the GAHC.
“In the end, we had 41 because that was the maximum number that could fit on the liner.” We had to turn away a few farms due to an overabundance.”
Once the Coquihalla Highway was completed, the heifers were rounded up and shipped off to their new home.
“They were about seven or eight months pregnant at the time, so they should give birth between the end of January and the beginning of April.” They’ll have more time to adjust to the new environment before calving. They’ll be in milk quickly, allowing [farmers] to make up for lost production,” Hummel said.
A $5,000 donation covered the cost of transporting the animals from industry partners.
With the help of a committee that evaluated the need for heifers, the donation was distributed to affected B.C. dairy farmers.
Bosma ended up with 4 bred heifers and said that the donated animals were exceptional.
“Their generosity has blown us away,” he said.
Heifers were donated to eleven farms from 25 farms in southern Alberta. The 41 animals are worth between $85,000 and $100,000.
“It was farmers helping farmers in the best way they could,” Bosma explained. “This act of kindness will be remembered, and we can only hope to repay it.”
Source: Global News
