A third generation dairy farm in East Ladner is the benefactor of a grant from Agriculture Canada.Delta MP Carla Qualtrough recently visited the Thibaudier family’s Pickmick Dairy Farm to present a $250,000 grant to be used to upgrade milking equipment, technology and renovate the operation.
“I got a tour of their very clean milking parlor and the barns, and learned a lot about their business,” said Qualtrough. “It was started in 1960 by Harold Thibaudier’s parents, who live nearby, with 23 cows. Today they have over 700 and milk over 300. I could tell that they love what they are doing.”
The funding, which the Thibaudiers applied for, comes from the Dairy Farm Innovation Program, which is administered through the Ministry of Agriculture and Agri-Food. It is a five-year, $250-million federal program.
“Delta has a very strong dairy farming community and what struck me about this farm is that how multi-generational this farming family is,” said Qualtrough. “The younger generation is taking over the farm business from their parents and pushing it into the future. For me it was neat to see that they got this grant to automate their milking production more efficiently.
“There is federal money out there for these initiatives. I want this to inspire other dairy farmers out there. Part of my job is to make sure that Delta knows about these things, that they apply and that they are successful when they apply. This is a long-standing farm that is benefiting from a significant grant.”
Melissa Thibaudier said the family is thrilled to receive the funding.
“It’s really a big help to our family and our business,” she said. “We were lucky that we were renovating our milking facilities at the time the grant was announced and that it fit the criteria. This grant helps cover about half the costs of our renovations. My brother and I are the third generation on the farm, so it’s great that this helps keep us farming a little longer in Delta.”
Source: Delta Optimist