Farmers continue Fiona recovery two months post-storm

Two months after post-tropical storm Fiona made landfall, traces of its aftermath still lie where they fell.

On dairy farmer David Bekkers’ property in Lanark, N.S., the roof of a silo that collapsed still sits where it slammed down.

“We’re still waiting for the contractor to demolish it. It has to be torn down,” Bekkers said. “He’s the only guy in Atlantic Canada so he is actually very busy.”

Bekkers is also waiting for a new barn door to shelter his cows.

“We hope it’s going to come soon because it’s going to get cold in the winter,” he said.

At Haveracres Maple Farm in St. Joseph’s, trees are the obstacle. Six thousand maple trees fell at Jason Haverkort’s farm, which he estimates is at least half of his production.

Despite working every week day since Sept. 24 to clear the trees, there are still hundreds he hasn’t reached.

“Struggling away,” Haverkort described his efforts. “At the end of the day, you’re just don’t feel like doing it anymore. When you wake up the next morning, you go at it again.”

He’s retrofitting his pipeline and re-thinking priorities. Each day of work is a race against time before winter takes hold.

“We’re about 75 per cent done what we can get completed for next season,” he said.

Haverkort plans to tap what trees he has and hopes the sap will flow out and more relief money will flow in. He’s only received $2,500 in provincial support thus far.

“I do believe there will be, yes. In what form it will be in or how much, I have yet to see,” Haverkort said on Wednesday.

On Thursday, Nova Scotia’s Minister of Agriculture announced that applications for Fiona-related agricultural disaster assistance are now being accepted.

“We encourage all eligible producers to apply,” said Marla MacInnis, spokesperson with Nova Scotia’s Department of Agriculture.

At his Creekside Farm Maple in Blue Mountain, Darren Noble lost about 500 maple trees.

He’s spent every day since Fiona doing something storm-related.

“We’re making progress now,” he said. “Probably got about two acres cleared here of the underbrush.”

Noble is trying to salvage and sell what wood he can and reroute his pipelines to trees still standing. What’s lost is lost for generations.

“The trees, I’ll never see them in my lifetime, a tap-able tree on this piece of land,” Noble said.

Back at the Bekkers’ farm, crushed corn fields not only lowered output by about 40 per cent but also compromised feed.

Bekkers said nutritionists told him the corn silage that’s left has some toxin levels in it and lacks energy.

“We’re adding products to what they call ‘bind the toxins’ so it doesn’t affect the cows’ appetite,” Bekkers said.

It all means piling on more costs. Fertilizer and fuel were already expensive this year before Fiona hit.

“It’s a lot of pressure on my staff and myself and my whole family,” Bekkers said.

Add stress to lost time -- factors multiplied by the storm farmers are still facing as they trudge ahead to pick up what Fiona knocked down.