cover story Total commitment


What began as a possible ‘hobby’ farmfor the Biln family has evolved into a multi-faceted operation.


By Judie Steeves I


t was a return to their roots that got the Biln family into agriculture in the Maple Ridge area, where they now operate Silver Valley Farms.


The family were farmers in India before the move to Canada, but went into the lumber industry here before Ray Biln’s dad and grandad began farming blueberries in the Pitt Meadows area on 21 acres, 30 years ago.


And, it wasn’t really intentional then, Biln says. They were looking for a home, not a home and farm. But it looked like a good ‘hobby farm’ to take on in retirement, so they bought it.


Looking back, he says they probably associated farming with the happy times on the farm when they were younger, and, “There’s a lot of satisfaction in growing things.” As well as blueberries, there were raspberries and strawberries on the farm where Ray Biln and his three brothers grew up.


The boys had an interest in going into farming when they grew up, so in 1993 the farm was expanded, with a further 18 acres in Maple Ridge which was already half in blueberries, and half in Christmas trees.


General manager of Silver Valley Farms today, Ray Biln says they now have a total of 135 acres in blueberries in the area.


His brothers work part-time for the farm, but he says, “It’s tough for the farm to support all of us.”


Initially, he headed off to university to go into commerce and law, but he changed to geography and history, with a bit of agriculture and he’s found he does use what his degree is in, including the history part, in running the farm operation. As well as the fields of blueberries,


JUDIE STEEVES


Ray Biln, general manager of Silver Valley Farms, believes it’s important that individual growers be prepared to become involved in the industry in order to keep it successful.


they have a packing plant in Maple Ridge handling 4.5 million pounds a year; packing into clamshells from 125 grams to 1.25 kilograms. The plant was built in 2004 and expanded in 2006.


Fruit from both the Silver Valley fields and about 20 other producers is packed there and marketed under the Naturipe brand through such outlets as Costco in the U.S., Sobeys, Loblaws, Kroger in the U.S. and


Walmart.


At Silver Valley, the season begins in late June (in a ‘normal’ year) with the first Dukes ripening, followed by Draper, Bluecrop, Liberty and Elliots. Biln says they hope to get the last of the crop off before the first frost in October—but they were a few hours late last fall.


The largest amount of acreage in a single variety is in Dukes, but Bluecrops are their heaviest producer.


British Columbia Berry Grower • Fall 2011 5


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