AGRICULTURE

Agriculture is a major component of the Kootenay Rockies, and has been since the 1890s.   

However, ranching took off in the area in the 1930s, after fire swept through the Columbia Trench, creating open grazing lands that made farming viable. There are some cattle ranching in the Jaffray area, as well as at Creston and in the Columbia Valley.

Creston is known for its fruit production – second only to the Okanagan. Creston has orchards, farmers’ markets, crops and cattle. Farmers also raise llamas, ostriches, peacocks, goats and other animals.  Products from these animals include soaps, cheeses, eggs, and wool. Creston boasts its own fairly new winery (Skimmerhorn) and the famous Kokanee Beer (Columbia Brewing Company).

Fernie is home of Fernie Brewing Company which has some unique beer with a local flavor:  a huckleberry wheat beer called What the Huck.

There are several nurseries in the region, as resorts, residents and business owners look to spruce up their landscapes. Xeriscaping is becoming trendier, as is planting native grasses and plants, to conserve water. With half a dozen mines in the area, reclamation is a priority and native grasses and seedlings are used for this purpose. Tipi Mountain Native Plant Nursery is a Cranbrook business specializing in native plant species.

The Ktunaxa people have undertaken an ethnobotany project. Its objective is to document First Nations’ knowledge in the area, including medicinal, food, and traditional landscape strategies.

As there are a lot of forested areas in the Kootenay Rockies region, the Christmas tree industry is alive and well, with tree farms doing a brisk business in the winter. Large tree farms are still operating between Invermere and Edgewater.

The abundance of streams and lakes in the East Kootenay support a vibrant sport fishery and serve as important spawning and rearing grounds for a range of species. The Kootenay Trout Hatchery stocks many of the local lakes.

 Photo: Diana Scott, Cherry Trees Photo: Carrie Schafer