Independent.
Fearless.
Reader funded.
SERIES

‘You Live, You Breathe the Farm’

‘You Live, You Breathe the Farm’
An aged tractor and a newly born calf: the past and future on Back Valley Ranch. Photo by Jess Mackie.

In British Columbia, farmers face innumerable challenges. Luxury mansions occupy the province’s most valuable agricultural soils. Drought, floods and wildfires wreak incalculable damage. Children jettison the family farm. Climate change forces young growers to contend with an uncertain future.

Jess Mackie travelled to seven farms and ranches to understand the day-to-day lives of B.C.’s small-scale producers. Their experiences defy easy categorization and their proud voices drive each story in this four-part series.

Share article via email Print this article
 

In This Series

The High Cost of Being a BC Farmer

The High Cost of Being a BC Farmer

Finding affordable farmland is increasingly difficult as nature and the market deliver their blows. Part one in a series.

Jess Mackie / 16 Jul 2018


Extra Jobs a Reality for Many BC Farmers

Extra Jobs a Reality for Many BC Farmers

More than half of BC farmers hold off-farm employment. Part two in a series.

Jess Mackie / 19 Jul 2018


The New Face of Farming in BC

The New Face of Farming in BC

Increasingly, women are taking the lead in producing our food. Part three in a series.

Jess Mackie / 23 Jul 2018


Farming’s Fragile Future in BC

Farming’s Fragile Future in BC

Land costs, climate change — and your food choices — threaten B.C.’s agriculture sector. Last in a series.

Jess Mackie / 26 Jul 2018