HELP OUR BC FARM FAMILIES!

We want to raise at least $10,000 per farm to help them find the resources they need to survive this atrocity. Torrential rains, flooding and mudslides have amounted to a catastrophic agricultural disaster in British Columbia. Nearly 100 farms in the Fraser Valley have been devastated with tens of thousands of animals perishing in the floods. The costs of this damage has yet to be determined and farms are in desperate need of food, water and supplies for their animals.

 

48% - the percentage of food consumed in BC is produced in the Fraser Valley.

62% - the percentage of agriculture is based in BC's Fraser Valley.

73% - the percentage of BC's milk production is from the Fraser Valley and it is currently being dumped.

100% - the percentage of chickens grown and consumed in BC.

 

Canadians rely on our farms and their animals for food stability in their day to day life. We often take for granted the access we have to these resources in our own country. Farmers have continued to support us and provide us with food through a pandemic and the time has come for us to support them through this natural disaster. These farmers have lost their livelihood, their means to earn an income and their homes. We need to support them and help them rebuild. The needs of these families and animals are not yet understood as the crisis and emergency teams are just focusing on managing the flood waters and evacuating people. Currently 1000s of litres of milk are being dumped and the number of pigs and chickens that have perished due to the flood have yet to calculated. This crisis will undoubtedly be one of the most severe disasters affecting farmers in Canada’s history.

 

Many farmers and citizens worldwide are watching these events unfold and feeling helpless. The needs of those affected will continue in the months to come as they treat their animals and recover their farms.

How will funds be dispersed? 

The funds raised will be distributed to farmers with valid PID's, in the affected areas, through the Canadian Association of Swine Veterinarians (CASV) with the assistance of the Western Canadian Association of Swine Veterinarians (WCASV) and Western Association of Poultry Veterinarians (WAPV)

Who are we and why?

Dr. Jessica Law is a Veterinarian who works with Swine Producers and is the President of the Western Canadian Association of Swine Veterinarians.  Jillian Carr is the founder of Steady Gait Planning Inc. A financial planning firm that works with Veterinarians, many who work with Canadian Farmers and are trying to assist in this natural disaster. Both Jillian and Jessica are respected professionals in their industries and are able to ensure that the funds are properly distributed.  Each of the associations and Veterinarians who are members of the mentioned above, work closely with producers across western Canada in mixed and large animal veterinary clinics. Many of the veterinary members are either veterinarians that are responsible for the care of the livestock impacted in these floods or colleagues of those veterinarians. 

How will the funds be spent?

We have built an application form for the farmers to complete and submit. The Application does ask each farmer for their PID, Name, Address and what Association they belong too. They are required to put on the application how much funding they will require. While we know this amount of funding will not be able to replace entire farms, we are hoping to provide enough funding for these farmers and their families to have access to funding for Mental Health Resources, Interim Living Arrangements, Feed and Veterinary Care for their livestock. 

For more information:

 

Dr. Jessica Law, DVM

Prairie Livestock Veterinarians

 

Jillian Carr

Steady Gait Planning Inc.