When post-tropical storm Fiona hit Nova Scotia, maple trees that had taken nearly a century to grow were completely destroyed in a matter of hours. The catastrophic loss, according to the farm owner, hasn’t really begun to sink in.
Haveracre Maple Property owner Jason Haverkort estimates that after storm Fiona tore across the area two weeks ago, his farm will take decades to recover.
About 6,000 of Haverkort’s maple trees, or half of his tapping area, he believes, were perished.
It will result in a significant financial loss. I won’t see it again in my lifetime, he declared.
Only mature maple trees can be tapped, and the procedure can take many years.
“The trees won’t grow back for fifty years. I won’t ever see tapped places once more.
Haverkort claimed that the loss probably won’t hit him in the gut until the following spring, when instead of the anticipated large sap stream, he will only witness “a trickle.”
”
He’s been in the business for 23 years — he founded the company with his family where maple trees were naturally growing. He’s been able to expand it since then.
“With new production methods, we’ve been getting really good crops in producing in excess amounts to be able to sell some out of the province,” he said.
When the news came that Hurricane Fiona was headed toward Atlantic Canada before turning to a severe storm, Haverkort said there wasn’t much preparation.
”
He has been in business for 23 years; he and his family established the firm where maple trees were already there. Since then, he has been able to increase it.
With the help of modern production techniques, he continued, “we’ve been getting extremely good crops in generating in excess so that we can sell some out of the province.”
Haverkort claimed that there wasn’t much preparedness when it became known that Hurricane Fiona was moving toward Atlantic Canada before intensifying into a serious storm.
According to the Nova Scotia Agriculture Association (NSAA), Antigonish County is one of the province’s hardest-hit farming regions; some farmers there won’t even see the crop this year.
It will undoubtedly drive some people out of business, according to NSAA’s Alicia King.
“For some folks, this will be the breaking point because of how expensive inputs have been this season alone, even before some of those crops were harvested.
The province stated that assistance is on the way and that cost-sharing schemes for insurance and income stability will be implemented by the federal government and the province.
However, even with some government aid, it would take decades for Haveracre Farm to fully recover.
For the trees he has lost, farmer Haverkort expects to receive some sort of recompense. He said, “I don’t know what’s going down the pipeline yet.
For the rest of my life as well as for one year, “(it’s) a significant financial loss.”
About Author
