Victor Chrapko was a strong voice for organic agriculture in Alberta and in the larger community. He died Feb 20 in a traffic collision while hauling hay. He will be missed, but his influence will go on.
Victor, his wife, Liz, and their family have a long history of environmental involvement in the community. In the 1980s, they were passionate in their opposition to a hazardous waste disposal plant to be located near Brosseau, Alta.
The Chrapkos have been innovative in their farming practices, always with an eye to environmental responsibility. The family operated the Pork Palace for more than 20 years. They also grew alfalfa hay and cereals. Chrapko was the first farmer in his area to grow his crops organically.
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In the 1990s they began an apple orchard, later diversifying their U-pick operation to become the Orchard Palace. They downsized their livestock from pigs to honeybees. They grow 65 apple varieties as well as 21 other fruits.
The Chrapkos also opened an organic cottage winery, En Sante, the first of its kind in Alberta. Their Forbidden Fruit and Passion wines are made from apples, rhubarb, raspberries and other crops from honey to alfalfa.
Developing an orchard in a zone 2 environment is an act of courage. Chrapko worked with university, college and government experts on grafting and breeding, agronomy and management techniques such as fostering beneficial insects.
Chrapko has received an Alberta farm family award, was a nominee to the Alberta Agriculture Hall of Fame and received the AgChoices best practices renewal award.
He was president of Alberta Organic Producers Association, which is a chapter of the Organic Crop Improvement Association. OCIA is a not-for-profit, member-owned certification and mentorship organization. He chaired the crop improvement committee of OCIA.
At the 2008 annual general membership meeting of OCIA, members agreed to make a donation to the Saskatchewan Organic Directorate protection fund in Chrapko’s name. The fund is dedicated to the fight to protect the right to farm free of genetically modified organisms and the right to eat GMO free. Individuals and other groups such as the Going Organic network in Alberta have said they will make similar donations.
OCIA has also established an annual Victor Chrapko scholarship for students researching the impact of GMOs.
Victor and I were once paired in an exercise at an organic marketing workshop where we told each other’s story. I remember being a bit nervous when Victor compared me to a big old tree. Big and old are perhaps not the first words that one hopes come to mind when people think of you. Victor went on to explain about my prairie roots and the fruit that my project was bearing for organics. By the time he finished speaking I was deeply honoured by his words.
Victor was like that. He teased a lot. He set a high standard. He wasn’t always politically correct, although he was certainly politically savvy. Sometimes he put people a little bit on edge, but he had a big heart, was full of life and I will miss him.
Frick is the prairie co-ordinator for the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada located at the University of Saskatchewan. She can be reached at 306-966-4975, at brenda.frick@usask.ca, or www.organicagcentre.ca.
