40 Rising from the ashes


Lorenzetti Acres casts positive light on industry by DAVID SCHMIDT


LAIDLAW – It was a “good learning curve” and the impetus for much-needed improvements, but their experience is not something Gerald and John Klop of Lorenzetti Acres in Laidlaw want anyone else to experience. On October 27, 2015, a fire


broke out in their barn, destroying buildings and killing 120 cows – almost half their herd. “The first thing we learned


is how much help we had,” John recalled during the BC Dairy Farm Self Tour in January. “Farmers came from all over to chase animals out of the barns and help us move them to other farms.” The second thing the


brothers learned was that they didn’t have enough insurance. Rather than take a settlement, sell their quota and exit the industry, the


brothers decided to bite the bullet and completely rebuild both their barn and their herd. It was something they


probably should have done years earlier, John says. “We had thought about a new parlour for a while but you look at the cost of a new one and think, well, the parlour’s been okay; it should be good for another year, and the years slip by.” To give the Klops time to


rebuild, the BC Milk Marketing Board let them lease half their quota to other producers for a year. The brothers continued to produce half their quota, with John milking a quarter of the original 235-cow milking herd in rented barns in Agassiz and Gerald milking another quarter in Chilliwack. When the year expired last


October, the BCMMB granted the Klops a six-month


Brothers John, left, and Gerald Klop of Lorenzetti Acres in Laidlaw showed off their new GEA Mag 90i double 16-parallel parlour and barns during the BC Dairy Farm Self-Tour in January. The brothers completely rebuilt after losing their previous facilities in a devastating fire. DAVID SCHMIDT PHOTO


extension after lobbying by other producers. “Since we moved back


home, we have been buying fresh cows and are now back up to milking 218 cows three times a day.” The brothers intend to


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keep buying fresh cows until they are able to rebuild their replacement stock. “Our whole breeding schedule is out of whack,” John says. “It will take us three to four years to get our heifer cycle going again.” Although many new large


farms have installed rotary parlours, the Klops went with a GEA Mag 90i double-16 parallel parlour, deciding a rotary set-up was cost- prohibitive. Instead of using sawdust as in the old barn, the Klops now use sand in the freestalls. “We not only get better udder health and traction but will save about $40,000 a year in bedding costs by recycling


95% of the sand,” John says. The new barn has better


ventilation and a white ceiling that distributes light better and reduces energy costs. “Putting in a ceiling


allowed us to put in less lights,” John notes. While the barn’s insides appeal to the Klops, many farmers compliment them for its striking appearance from Hwy 1. “Their farm is the first one people see when they come into the Fraser Valley and the last one they see when they leave,” said one farmer. “It gives passers-by a favourable impression and that’s good for all of us.”


COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • APRIL 2017


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