Pravin Dhaliwal, 23, who decided to carry on with the 16-hectare family farm two years ago after finishing a business degree at the University of British Columbia, tried to look past the financial loss when an unusual heat wave "baked" the cherries growing on his family's farm in Oliver, B.C. He tried to focus on the passion that drove him to follow in his father and grandfather's footsteps.
The Dhaliwals' farm, however, saw almost 54,000 kg of cherries shrivel up on trees that "looked like they'd been set on fire" due to searing temperatures that recently reached a record 41.5 C in the Okanagan region and considerably higher elsewhere in British Columbia.
A large portion of the apple crop was also destroyed, with 40% of it being sunburned.
Now, he's looking to the future by depending on the skills he'd learned on the farm which is focusing on better seasons while attempting to compete with producers sending food north from California and Mexico. However, the Dhaliwals' and farmers' confidence is being tested by the effects of climate change, as they look to provincial and federal governments for support and help.
Dhaliwal's family has filed an insurance claim with the British Columbia government, but he says the payouts won't even cover expenses, and farmers need more help.
Growers may purchase crop yield insurance with a 20% deductible as part of a joint program with the federal government for the loss of fruit and some plants damaged by weather, according to the British Columbia Agriculture Ministry.
Brent Preston, a founding member of Farmers for Climate Solutions, said the future of farming in Canada will require government support for growers trying to deal with big fluctuations in the climate.