Abbotsford farmer calls for respect after midday joyride destroys crops

A Fraser Valley farmer is speaking out after he says some young vandals caused thousands of dollars in damage to his fields.

Long-time farmer and general manager of Western Turf Farms Rob Rindt says a group of young people took a joyride on his fields earlier this month, causing thousands of dollars worth of damage.

“They did a bunch of donuts, tore up quite a huge area of grass,” Rindt said. “I don’t think they really thought about what they were doing. They just saw a field, and it all went through the cable and the donuts.”

This all happened in broad daylight.

Rindt told CTV News the driver went through a cable barrier and left swiftly, but not before hitting another field, leaving a mark on a second set of crops.

“Having somebody drive through what you spent a year growing, it’s kind of a slap to the face,” he said. He estimated the damage caused at roughly $100,000.

CTV News reached out to the Abbotsford Police Department, which said it has identified the vehicle and is investigating.

Bill Zylmans from the BC Potato and Vegetable Growers Association wasn’t surprised by this incident at Western Turf Farms, calling it an “ongoing challenge in agriculture.” He explained, anecdotally, he hears about similar incidents at least once a month.

He added this is an obstacle for farmers that could be easily avoided if people would just be more considerate.

“It’s extremely hard to produce with the challenges, whether it’s weather or the public,” Zylmans said. “This is just one other thing that really, really is an irritant, that really is not necessary.”

Rindt said he’s calling for some common decency.

“People should respect people’s properties,” he said.