VancouverMETRO VANCOUVER NEWS
Surrey potato farm’s lease extended for another year
The Heppell family’s 220-acre Surrey farm has received another one-year lease extension after more than 90,000 people signed a petition to preserve the operation.
A popular Surrey potato farm has received a one-year extension to its lease on federally owned land near 192nd Street and 36th Avenue.
The Heppell family grows potatoes and other crops on the 220-acre site, producing roughly 50 million servings annually. The property is leased year to year and is not part of the Agricultural Land Reserve.
Earlier this year, Tyler Heppel said the lease could end to make way for other uses. Housing and warehouses had been discussed, and three First Nations have sought the return of land within their traditional territory.
The family launched a petition to save the farm that has drawn more than 90,000 signatures. The extension comes as calls to buy Canadian products have intensified during the trade dispute with the United States, with federal Industry Minister Melanie Joly urging consumers to support Canadian jobs through their purchases.