Opinion: Why some of B.C.'s farms are thriving and others won't weather the next storm

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeOpinionOp-Ed Opinion: Why some of B.C.'s farms are thriving and others won't weather the next storm Chris Bodnar: In many cases, the farms on the edge of dying are exactly the family-owned farms that British Columbians say they want to protect Author of the article: By Chris Bodnar Published Sep 17, 2026 Last updated 1 day ago 3 minute read Join the conversation B.C. has invested enormous effort in protecting farmland, backed by policy. That remains important. But preserving agricultural land isn't the same as preserving a future for our agriculture sector, writes Chris Bodnar. PHOTO BY JAMES WHEELER /Adobe stock Article content Every summer, British Columbians are reminded of the challenges facing agriculture. Wildfires, drought, water shortages, floods and extreme weather regularly make headlines, and the impacts on farmers are visible and immediate. Article content These risks deserve attention. But there is another challenge facing B.C.’s agricultural production system that is far less visible: the financial health of the farms themselves. Article content Article content Article content Over the past year I have examined publicly available financial data from across Canada’s agricultural sector as part of the B.C. agricultural financial health project at the University of the Fraser Valley. What I found was an uncomfortable reality. Many of the family farms British Columbians say they want to protect are becoming increasingly difficult to sustain. Article content Sunrise Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content One reason this issue is often misunderstood is that the headline numbers tell only part of the story. Article content Statistics Canada reported that B.C.’s agricultural sector lost $457 million last year. That figure is accurate, but it masks an important distinction. Roughly three-quarters of the 16,000 entities reporting farm income in B.C. generate less than $100,000 annually, and four-in-10 generate less than $10,000. Most of the reported losses come from these small-scale and lifestyle operations. Article content Remove that group from the equation and a different picture emerges. Article content B.C.’s about 4,100 commercial…