B.C. farmers 'white-knuckling' their way through extreme cold after floods, heat dome

Richard Bosma's cows had been home for less than a week after an evacuation due to flooding in Abbotsford, B.C., before temperatures plummeted on his farm.

Richard Bosma's cows had been home for less than a week after an evacuation due to flooding in Abbotsford, B.C., before temperatures plummeted on his farm.

Bosma, who credits his faith with helping him remain resilient in a year that has seen record-breaking heat, flooding and now freezing temperatures, said a friend's comment resonated with him.

“So which chapter of Revelations are we doing today?” he said, referring to the book of the Bible dedicated to apocalyptic prophecy.

Like many farmers in B.C., Bosma has faced a year unlike any other when it comes to extreme climate events.

With temperatures dipping to nearly -16 C in the normally temperate Fraser Valley last month, Bosma was not alone in dealing with frozen pipes and manure removal systems, snapping equipment and challenges getting workers to the site. One milk truck driver told Bosma it took 12 hours to get the milk lines on the vehicle thawed before he could start navigating icy roads to do his pickups.

But Bosma is wary of being perceived as a complainer, noting farmers aren't alone in dealing with the cold that's affected everyone from truckers to firefighters.

“It's a bit of white-knuckling to make sure we get through the basics every day,” he said.