Sask Pork makes donation to support B.C. farm families devastated by flooding

By Lynn Redl-Huntington

Sask Pork has pledged $1,000 to the newly launched “Help Our BC Farm Families” GoFundMe Page, which was created today to support British Columbia’s farmers and livestock producers in the Fraser Valley, which has been hard hit by devastating floods this week.

The goal of the GoFundMe page is to raise at least $10,000 per farm to help families survive the unfolding agricultural disaster in British Columbia. Nearly 100 farms in the Fraser Valley have been reported to have been destroyed with tens of thousands of animals perishing in the floods. Approximately 62% percent of British Columbia’s agriculture in is based in the Fraser Valley.

“Farms 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,” said the organizers of the GoFundMe page. “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 be calculated… This crisis will undoubtedly be one of the most severe disasters affecting farmers in Canada’s history.”

“Our hearts go out to our fellow Canadian farm families as we watch this crisis unfold in the Fraser Valley. It’s at times like this that Canadian farm families pull together,” said Casey Smit, Board Chair, Sask Pork. “We’re grateful to the organizers for providing a platform to help these families and their animals and we encourage farm families and all residents across Saskatchewan to support in any way they can.”

Funds raised will be distributed to farmers with valid PIDs in affected areas through the Western Canadian Association of Swine Veterinarians and Western Association of Poultry Veterinarians.

Since the GoFundMe page was launched 18 hours ago, $20,225 has been raised towards a goal of $620,000.

To donate to the Help Our BC Farm Families GoFundMe page, please visit: gofundme.com/f/help-our-BC-farm-families.