B.C Outstanding Young Farmers to be named this week

Two farm families are up for the award

Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers program will present its first regional award of 2025 this week.

The BC/Yukon event takes place Feb. 18 and 19 at the Clarion Hotel in Abbotsford, and two farm families are up for the award.

The first is Thomas and Catherine Cuthbert from Ladysmith, B.C., who along with their four young children operate Southcoast Agro Farms Ltd.

“Their primary operation is producing broiler chickens for Island Farmhouse, Poultry, a local processor in Cowichan Bay, who supplies chicken to Island grocery stores, local markets, and restaurants,” the family’s bio says.

Island Farmhouse even featured the Cuthbert farm in one of its commercials.

In addition, the family farm has a grass-fed beef herd, and Thomas is a shareholder in his family’s dairy operation, Silvermaple Holsteins.

That farm runs about 300 Holsteins and produces crops on about 300 acres of land.

The other nominees for the regional award are Albert Gorter and Chelsea Enns from Parksville, B.C.

Along with their two young kids, Gorter and Enns own Little Qualicum Cheeseworks.

The farmers “are dedicated to producing high-quality, artisanal cheeses using milk directly from their grass-fed herd of Jersey and Holstein cows,” their bio says.

Their farm is also home to Canada’s first Milk-On-Tap Dispenser.

The winning farm will represent B.C. at the national event in Toronto in November.

B.C. farmers last won the national prize in 2023.

Brad and Travis Hopcott shared the award with Greg and Sarah Stamp from Alberta.