British Columbia is the first off the mark in selecting its nominee for Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmer competition.
Pieter and Anita deBruin of Devan Greenhouses in Abbotsford were named the 2006 B.C. region finalists on Feb. 17. They will compete with six other regional winners in the national judging in Saskatchewan in November.
The deBruins received the award in front of 450 people including federal minister of agriculture Chuck Strahl, who noted each of his four children worked at Devan Greenhouses when it was located in Chilliwack.
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After working in a Richmond greenhouse since childhood, Piet decided to start his own greenhouse shortly after getting married.
In 1993, the deBruins sold their Richmond home and used the equity to buy an old plastic-roofed greenhouse, dismantle it and reconstruct it in Chilliwack.
After building their business in Chilliwack for six years, they relocated to undeveloped land near the Abbotsford-Langley border where they built a glass greenhouse with an ebb and flood system allowing them to recycle their water.
In 2004, they switched from natural gas heating to a wood pellet boiler heating system, reducing energy costs. During the spring and summer, Devan grows a wide variety of annuals marketed through its retail centre or the United Flower Growers auction. With the retail centre, Devan now employs 30-40 people while the deBruins also raises seven children.
Other B.C. nominees were Grant and Justine Keefer of Yellow Point Cranberries of Ladysmith, Kevin and Annemarie Klippenstein of Klippers Organic Acres in Cawston and Bob and Marianne Maljaars of Inline Nurseries of Chilliwack.
