One Saanichton farmer is not basking in the sunshine, even as many British Columbians have enjoyed above average temperatures across Vancouver Island and the South Coast.
The warm weather is causing the daffodils at Longview Farms to start poking through the soil and manager Ryan VanTreight said he’s scrambling to find workers to pick them before they burst into full bloom.
WATCH: Daffodil month
“Right now with this time of year and the beautiful weather that we’re having, and the sunshine, the mild temperatures have given the daffodils kind of a head start,” he told Global News.
“When I see yellow, I see red. Because that means we’ve missed an opportunity. Once the flowers go to bloom, people don’t want to buy them so we have to pick them when we’re ready and the heads are really tight.”
VanTreight said the daffodils are a few weeks ahead of schedule.
But the flowers may hold off for a short time yet with some snow and cold weather in the forecast.
Finding staff is always an issue for Longview Farms, so VanTreight hopes the business can sign some people up to help out now as the daffodils need picking.
“I can always sell them but getting them out of the fields in a sellable manner, that’s the challenge,” he said.
“So if they come on all at once and we don’t have enough people to pick, there’s lost revenue there.”
“If it cools down and stays mild, we might be able to get there but we need as many people on that list of call-out that we can get.”
Contact Longview Farms on the web to sign up for work.
“Local farmers are already up against the elements as it is,” VanTreight said.
“When Mother Nature throws a curve ball, we have to adapt and we need people to help us do that.”