As the price of putting food on the table continues to climb, some local farmers have dug up a way to churn out support from field to farm to family.
Okanagan Valley Feeds (OVF) broke ground on a new, state-of-the-art feed mill in Spallumcheen on June 16.
A mill to this standard hasn鈥檛 been built for 50 years.
鈥淚 know this because my family built it,鈥� said Jon Couch, who has started OVF with his brother Todd.
It was their family that first built the only other mill of that standard in Grindrod years ago. Since then, few mills have cropped up in the province, making it harder for farmers to afford to feed their animals.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been 20 years since a new feed mill has been built in B.C., that鈥檚 in the Lower Mainland,鈥� Jon told a crowd of upwards of 200 at the groundbreaking.
OVF is investing $35 million into the new mill and hopes to have it up and running in about 18 months.
The five-acre plot will house the extensive mill, which will house 10,000 metric tonnes of food and support 15,000 cows, plus all the other animals.
Looking to partner with local farmers with grain fields, OVF鈥檚 mission statement is 鈥楩rom Field to Farm to Family.鈥�
鈥淭his feed mill is important not just to agriculture but to locals,鈥� said Jon, adding that feed mills are important, 鈥渋f you had a little cream in your coffee, butter on your toast or perhaps some bacon and eggs.鈥�
Plus, 鈥渆very one of us here has seen our grocery bills go up.鈥�
Agricultural Minister Lana Popham, who showed up to the groundbreaking, is pleased to see the project moving along.
鈥淐onsumers are putting farmers up on pedestals and there鈥檚 a real understanding that if we don鈥檛 support our farmers we鈥檙e in trouble,鈥� Popham said.
鈥淚 have a lot of hope for this spot. This mill is going to support this community.鈥�
Spallumcheen Mayor Christine Fraser is equally joyed to see OVF鈥檚 success, since the Township purchased the more than 100-acre site with the goal to preserve it for some sort of agriculture. OVF is situated on a five-acre plot.
鈥淭his has been about four years in the making and it鈥檚 going to be a great start to our agricultural hub,鈥� Fraser said.
Spallumcheen鈥檚 motto is Open for Business and the Couch brothers and families feel that fits perfectly with OVF.
鈥淲e will not only build a feed mill, we will build community,鈥� Jon said.
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