2021 June Virtual Agriculture Tour

Name: 2021 June Virtual Agriculture Tour

Date: June 7, 2021 - June 11, 2021

Event Description:

The Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce's popular Agriculture Tour has gone virtual in 2021!

This year's tour will showcase the industry through "Agriculture, A Backstage Pass". We will explore three different agriculture sector businesses with video access to those farms or agriculture facilities that are not typically accessible due to biosecurity or the size of the group. Tour stops will be posted during the week of June 7-11, 2021 through social media. This is a unique opportunity to showcase the diversity of agriculture in our community and see the economic impact that agriculture has on Abbotsford and the Fraser Valley.

Click here to WATCH THE VIDEOS.

Stops on this year's tour include:

Siemens Farms
Mark Siemens is a third-generation farmer and currently takes care of the day-to-day operations of his family's egg farm in Abbotsford. He is also the president of the BC Egg Producers Association, an organization of farmers who discuss important operational issues such as animal welfare, disease prevention, and the latest agricultural developments.

Mark is a BC Egg Ambassador and, pre-pandemic, has volunteered at many public outreach events such as the PNE and Ask an Egg Farmer events at Save On Foods stores. He loves showing groups around his farm and takes pride in the novel aviary system he uses to house his hens.

Arendsdale Dairy Farm
Derek Arends is a third-generation dairy farmer. Recent expansion to their farm includes new dairy facilities, 40 cow rotary parlor, and new bunker silo to allow for increased storage capacity.

They manage 380 acres of arable farmland in corn and grass production. 618 kgs CDQ Dairy Quota. 470 Milking cow herd. 500 +/- young stock.

Lakeland Flowers
In 1974, Peter Warmerdam and his family purchased land in the Sumas Prairie Flats in Abbotsford where the farm currently stands.

Peter chose the Sumas area because the sandy soil made harvesting bulbs easier and the steady winds kept foliar diseases at bay. The ownership in the business eventually transferred to his sons and he became fully retired from working on the farm at 87 years of age.

In its 47 years in Abbotsford, the farm has expanded from a small operation to a company of nearly 100 employees. Today, Peter's son Nick owns and operates Lakeland Flowers which continues to grow millions of beautiful daffodils, tulips, peonies, and sunflowers each year.

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