Despite having to be partially scaled back due to day-long rain, the 100 Mile Farming Expo was still regarded as a success.
The expo was held this year on Saturday, May 31 at the Lone Butte Community Hall, after being held at the Stan Halcro Agriplex last year, and contained several vendors who were indoors. A few vendors braved the cold, wind and rain outdoors, showing off ducks, goats and other sorts of animals, in addition to food vendors.
"It hasn't really done that much of damage, honestly - we're getting a lot of sales. We're having a lot of people coming. They're coming rain or shine, and some people are getting drenched, but they're still going around supporting us," said Isabelle Harper, who helped organize the expo.
The rain had led to several educational tutorials that were supposed to occur being called off, as well as the dog agility course.
Harper said that they had a bit of a hiccup with the agriplex, which the expo had raised funds for last year. This year, the event raised money for the Lone Butte Community Hall.
"We're raising everything we can to help put proceeds towards this. They just built that arena, so they just need a little more to get it going good. So everything, all the proceeds go straight to helping the community out," Harper said, referring to a new horse arena that is under construction behind the Lone Butte Community hall, which has been recently sanded.
"It's going to be available to rent for people, and we're just trying to help them out a little."
There had been a growth in vendors in general in this year's 100 Mile Farming Expo, which Harper had described the amount of vendors this year as being "dramatic."
"We've had a lot more farmers this year come up, and a lot more from other different places as well," said Harper. "The more vendors we have, the more people are willing to want to come and see everything."
One of the vendors in attendance was Darinka Golob, who owns Cariboo Paws Pet Foods, a pet food store in Lone Butte, which specializes in premium raw pet food for both dogs and cats, natural treats and a line of apothecaries called Adored Beast, which comes from the Maritimes.
"I make some in-house," Golob added.
She had founded her business when a good friend of hers reached out to her in 2018 after learning she was going to the Coast to pick up raw dog food.
"She suggested, why don't you open up your own place, up where you live - and that's where it all started," Golob said.
Last year, she participated in the farming expo with a different company, and one of the organizers asked if she wanted to have her own table this year.
"I said, if I can do it with Cariboo Paws, I'd be more than happy to participate. And it's definitely been worthwhile," Golob said.
She said that sales have been good during the expo. She also praised the decision to hold the Farming Expo in the Lone Butte Community Hall, saying that it was better to have the animals outside.
"If the weather was better, I could see it being a huge success," Golob remarked.
Harper said she hopes more companies like Cariboo Paws, especially tractor companies, will join in future instalments of the 100 Mile Farming Expo, alongside others.
"We would like to possibly, one day, try to get the 4H involved, and we're just looking at expanding a couple of other more different things. We just got to have a big old chat with the committee and figure it all out," Harper stated. "It's about getting the community together more, so trying to show what farming is all about, and what other farmers do around here, and just to have a good family fun community event."
