APRIL 2019 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC


13 Island couple named Outstanding Young Farmers


James and Cammy Lockwood will represent BC at national conference


by DAVID SCHMIDT


ABBOTSFORD – Which came first – the chicken or the egg? According to the BC & Yukon Outstanding Young Farmer Program, it is the egg. Egg producers and


vegetable growers James and Cammy Lockwood of Lockwood Farms in Cobble Hill were named the 2019 BC & Yukon Outstanding Young Farmers in Abbotsford, March 12, outpointing chicken and hop growers Ray and Tracey Bredenhof of Bredenhof Farms in Abbotsford in a very close competition between two excellent, innovative and resourceful young farming couples. James Lockwood grew up in a wholesale ornamental nursery but was on his way to a career with the RCMP when he and Cammy decided to grow a few vegetables for themselves. They also bought three hens to produce their own eggs. They were instantly hooked. “James figured out farming was in his blood; I figured out I was pregnant,” Cammy recalls. In 2011, together with


James’ father, Barry, they formed Lockwood Farms, initially with 399 laying hens and a few rows of vegetables which they sold at the Duncan Farmers’ Market. With the help of four employees and several WWOOFERS (Willing Workers on Organic Farms), they now intensively crop two acres of vegetables which they sell to local restaurants and at three nearby farmers’ markets. After winning the BC Egg Marketing Board New Producer Program lottery in 2015, they were able to expand their flock to 3,000 birds. They have since purchased quota for another 1,250 birds and now have 4,250 free-range layers in a state-of-the-art aviary system. The Lockwoods are also the first Canadian egg producers to include Black Soldier Flies in their layer diet. “Insects are a very natural


part of a hen’s diet, yet conventional feed has not included insect protein,” the Lockwoods note. “We believe this is the way of the future and are so excited to be pioneering this feed in our industry.” The Lockwoods faced serious challenges in the past year. Barry Lockwood was diagnosed with cancer last June and passed away in November, leaving James and Cammy with “all the joy, the debt, the income, the responsibility, the property, the maintenance and so much more.”


They credit their community with helping them through that difficult time, saying they have emerged more resilient. “We are not trying to be better than anyone else; we just want to be better at what we do – more knowledgeable, better stewards, better parents, better citizens, better friends, better owners, better employers and better farmers.” The Lockwoods use organic farming methods but are not certified organic, saying “local” has become more important to people than “organic.” Selling at farmers’ markets helps them determine what products to grow and puts them close enough to their customers to answer any questions about their practices. In addition to their farm, James has served as a director and chair of the Duncan Farmers’ Market and currently represents Vancouver Island producers on the BC Egg Producers Association. Cammy has been the liason between her church and a committee sponsoring a refugee family.


Multi-taskers Ray and Tracey Bredenhof


produce 225,000 broiler chickens per year on their commercial broiler farm. They are also helping to revive the Fraser Valley hop industry, having planted 12 acres of hops a few years ago. After


Tracey and Ray Bredenhof, left, and Cammy and James Lockwood gave OYF judges a run for their money this winter. Ultimately, they chose the Lockwoods to represent BC/Yukon in the national competition later this year. SUBMITTED PHOTO


serving as a director of the BC Chicken Growers Association and BC Agriculture Council for several years, Ray stepped down three years ago to become the founding president of the BC Hop Growers Association. The Bredenhofs are now fully immersed in the hop sector, processing and marketing their own hops and helping other farmers with their crops.


See OYF on next page o


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