'Trying to keep every acre of farmland for the future is critical': Battle brewing over protection of Delta farmland
CTV
There’s a push to protect a large parcel of provincially-owned farmland in Delta that comes with a checkered past.
There’s a push to protect a large parcel of provincially-owned farmland in Delta that comes with a checkered past.
The 600-acre Brunswick Point farmland is used to grow everything from peas and corn to barley and berries.
“We had roughly 70 acres of potatoes here last year and it would produce close to 2,000 tonnes of potatoes for the local market,” explained Cory Gerrard, manager at Swenson Farms.
“The Delta soil is very fertile. It holds moisture really well and we can grow very good quality potatoes,” he explained.
The Swenson family has been farming the land since the late 1800’s.
“My wife is a Swenson,” Gerrard explained. “They’re fifth generation farmers now.”
But Swenson Farms now only leases the land they owned until 1968.