At Silver Rill farm in Saanichton, farming is a family affair. Paxton Fox may only be six years old, but his description of summer so far is probably the most succinct.
“Too much rain hurts the crops,” said Paxton, the fifth generation of the family-run business.
This chillier, rainier June has put crops across B.C. two to three weeks behind schedule. As we head into mid-July, things are growing, just later and slower this year.
This week, Silver Rill is harvesting bushels of beets, carrots, kale, swiss chard, beans and berries.
“I came for the strawberries, but the raspberries and cherries looked so good I had to get them too,” said Terra Pickwick, a shopper at the Silver Rill Market.
With clear skies and temperatures hitting 26 degrees Monday, this week brings the spot of sun the crops needed.
“Things are coming along now. There’s still been a lot of mild days recently, but right now today we’re getting some good temperatures,” said Clayton Fox, general manager of Silver Rill Farm.
Meteorologists say the sunshine is here to stay, bringing seasonably warm, dry conditions for a week or more.
“The last few days are an indication of things to come. The hot weather is here. Summer is finally here,” said Bobby Sekhon with Environment and Climate Change Canada.
It’s especially good news for those waiting for what the Silver Rill Farm is famous for.
“I don’t know, it’s just not summer without corn,” said Pickwick.
The Foxes say their corn is just about to pop.
“We haven’t given it a start date exactly yet, but we’re a week or 10 days or so,” said Clayton.
They’ll announce the first pick on Facebook.
Kori Sidaway
