This week was a busy one as we have entered full swing into the diversification section of our applied skills course in the Applied Sustainable Ranching Program here at Thompson Rivers University in Williams Lake.

For our first diversification seminar we traveled out towards Soda Creek, along the Fraser River in the Cariboo and found ourselves at Fraser Bench Farm and home of Charlie and Lynda Archibald.

Lynda’s place is incredible, and a real testament to the idea of “staying in place” -she’s been on that site for thirty years, and the establishment of her trees, and berry bushes and flowers shows it. Lynda has a successful raspberry enterprise where she grows, picks and sells fresh and frozen berries. She is a great example of diversification as she has several businesses on her farm.

Lynda has created diversification with her apple orchard with apple sales, juice sales and she creates her own apple cider vinegar product that is in high demand.  She is part of the Cariboo Grower’s co-op and grows onions and early garlic for them to sell in Williams Lake.  Her set-up was simple and showed that with a little creativity setting up an additional enterprise on your ranch or farm could be easily established.

We enjoyed Lynda’s farm so much, spending a lot of time learning from her, but also a lot of time sitting on her deck in the warm micro-climate, basking in the sun and flowers.

No wonder she has invested so much of her time in this beautiful place, how could you not?