Metro Vancouver’s Chinese community rallies around Weller’s Blueberry Farm

This year’s blueberry crop is the best 89-year-old Gert Weller has seen in more than 40 years of farming.

But the last two years on the Weller Blueberry Farm in Langley have been challenging. Weller’s wife of 61 years fell ill and is now in a care home. Gert can’t work as much as he used to after undergoing a hernia operation.

“My grandpa has a lot of bills with my grandma being in the hospital and running a farm you have unexpected breakdowns,” said grandson Rob Rindt. “His equipment is getting old.”

Rindt created a Facbeook page to encourage people to come to their U-pick farm and help them deal with their bumper crop of berries. The page struck a chord with Metro Vancouver’s Chinese community after it was shared on WeChat, a popular Chinese messaging service.

“This gentleman faced a little difficulty to collect all the blueberries, so people want to help him,” said berry picker Shi Li.

In the two days since the social media post was published, more than 100 members of Metro Vancouver’s Chinese community have come to help the U-pick blueberry business.

Weller is grateful for the support.

“As long as I live I want to stay here,” he said. “Even if sometimes the work is a little bit hard.”

-With files from Jennifer Palma