Review
THE www.keremeosreview.com PM Agreement #40012521
Vol.15 Number 48
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Serving the communities of Keremeos, Cawston, Okanagan Falls and Kaleden
ARSON AT THE MUSEUM
$1.15 including GST
‘Tis the season to talk turkey
Museum volunteers discover vandalism and attempts to ignite museum building See page 5
NATIVE STUDENTS BEGIN WATER STUDIES
Similkameen portion of cross Canada project began this week See page 8
KEREMEOS DOG OWNERS LOSE THEIR PETS
Two families devastated after pit bull attack on Keremeos street See page 3
Photo by Steve Arstad
Manager Kris Friesen of Similkameen Turkey Farm is busy finishing the last of the 2013 flock. The farm recently received humane certification, which helps ensure the birds are raised in a healthier, more liveable environment. The flock is even provided with “enhancements” - toys - such as balls and shiny CDs to play with. By Steve Arstad news@keremeosreview.com Kris Friesen was a busy man on the afternoon of November 20, after a sudden surge of cold air enveloped the Lower Similkameen. “I had a water line break, and I’m trying to keep my birds from freezing,” he explained, as he dismounted from his tractor. Kris, along with wife Jody, are the new managers of Similkameen Turkey Farm, previously VanDieman’s.
The business changed hands roughly a year ago, and is now owned by Brian Pauls of Abbotsford. The Pauls family own a number of turkey farms in the Lower Mainland and on the prairies. The Friesens arrived in Keremeos five months ago, and since then, Kris has been a very busy man, last Wednesday notwithstanding. Similkameen Turkey Farm processes 660,000 kilograms of turkey annually, which translates into approximately 88,000 birds.
“It takes about 13 weeks to raise a bird,” Friesen explained, “we processed five flocks in 2013, and we have plans to expand.” The farm is currently raising the flock bound for Christmas dinner tables this year - 13,500 birds that will complete the growing cycle for the farm for this year. Friesen said that locally, the farm sells roughly 3,000 birds over the Thanksgiving season, and another 5-6,000 over the Christmas season. The remainder of the flock continued on page 3