The family will represent the province in the national competition later this year
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
The third generation of the Hopcott family from Pitt Meadows, B.C., received an award for their work in the ag sector.
Travis, Jenn and Brad Hopcott, who run different divisions of Hopcott Farms in Pitt Meadows, B.C., were named the BC Outstanding Young Farmers for 2023. The award recognizes farmers between the ages of 18 and 39.
“It was a shock and surprise to win,” Travis told Farms.com. “We were so impressed by the other two nominees and their stories, we wouldn’t have been surprised if either of them were chosen.”
As part of the regional competition, the Hopcotts and other nominees made presentations about their operations, progress, community involvement and more.
The family’s primary business is the feedlot, where they raise about 1,000 head of cattle per year.
But progress and change have been a part of the Hopcott family’s ag philosophy for many years.
The operation started as a dairy farm in 1932 before the family started transitioning to a beef operation in 1957.
Other changes to the business include converting 70 acres of land into cranberry bogs for Ocean Spray, agri-tourism opportunities, adding an on-farm retail space, and in 2022, opening an on-site abattoir.
The continued evolution of the family business is what the presentation focused on, Travis said.
“We focused on all the moving parts that we have,” he said. “We touched on our family history and talked about what makes us outstanding. We talked about the different parts of the operation we oversee, how we manage the culture in our workforce and the community impact we’re able to have.”
Creekside Cheese + Creamery from Agassiz, and Linden Lane Farms from Kestova, were the other nominees up for the award.
Watching the presentations from the other farms sends a message that B.C. agriculture is in good hands, Hopcott said.
“It’s refreshing to see leaders in the industry that aren’t just passionate about what they do, they’re also very good at what they do,” he said.
With the regional win, the Hopcotts will now represent the BC/Yukon region in the national competition in Quebec this November.
Tracey and Raymond Bredenhoff, who grow hops and raise chickens in Abbotsford, B.C., were co-national winners with Jenny Butcher and Wes Kuntz from Ontario in 2020-21.
The Hopcotts will be looking to represent B.C. and make connections, Travis said.
“We don’t want to disappoint those who thought we can represent our region and we put a lot of pressure on ourselves,” he said. “Whether we win or lose, we’re satisfied with how far we’ve gotten. And being able to meet some of the growers from across the country is going to be a great networking opportunity.”
So far, one other farm family has punched their ticket to the national competition in November.
That’s Harley and Brooklynn Siemens from Rosenort, Man.