Organic Pioneer Victor Chrapko Honoured

By Brenda Frick, Ph.D., P.Ag.

Victor Chrapko was a strong and insistent voice for organic agriculture, both in Alberta and in the larger community. His voice was silenced Feb 20 by a traffic collision while he was hauling hay. Victor will be sorely missed, but his impact will go on.

Victor, his wife Liz, and their family have a long history of environmental involvement in the community. In the 1980’s, they were passionate in their opposition to an hazardous waste disposal plant locating in the Brosseau area of Alberta, an area of rich farmland, lakes and recreational land. After a lengthy and difficult battle, they were successful in protecting the land they loved.

Chrapkos have been innovative in their farming practices, always with an eye to environmental responsibility. The family operated the “Pork Palace” for over twenty years, working together and building skills. They also grew alfalfa hay and cereals. Victor was the first farmer in his area to grow his crops organically.

In the 1990’s Chrapkos began an apple orchard, later diversifying their U-Pick operation to become the “Orchard Palace”. They downsized their livestock from pigs to honeybees. They currently grow 65 apple varieties as well as 21 other fruits, including rhubarb, raspberries, cherries, haskap, pears, plums, saskatoons, strawberries and sea buckthorn. They harvest wild fruits as well as a using a number of products from the University of Saskatchewan Fruit Breeding program.

They found that with the U-Pick operation they needed to find a use for their excess fruit. They had made wine for their own use, but began thinking on a larger scale. Their newly opened organic cottage winery, “En Sante”, is the first of its kind in Alberta. Their uniquely crafted Forbidden Fruit and Passion wines are made from apples, rhubarb, and raspberries and other fruits, from honey and even from alfalfa.

Developing an orchard in a zone 2 environment is an act of courage, and Victor supported his optimism with a strong foundation of research. He partnered with university, college and government experts on the latest varieties, on grafting and breeding, on agronomy and management techniques to foster beneficial insects. The result is an amazingly diverse orchard that goes well beyond what is expected for the area.

Victor has been repeatedly honoured: with his family in an Alberta “Farm Family Award”, as a nominee to the Alberta Agriculture Hall of Fame, and with the AgChoices Best Practices Renewal Award.

Victor was active in the organic community. He was the president of Alberta Organic Producers Association, a chapter of OCIA (Organic Crop Improvement Association). OCIA is a not-for-profit, member-owned certification and mentorship organization. Victor chaired the Crop Improvement committee of OCIA Research and Education.

At the 2008 annual general membership meeting of OCIA, members agreed to make a donation to the Saskatchewan Organic Directorate Organic Agriculture Protection Fund in Victor’s name. The SOD OAPF is dedicated to “fight to protect the right to farm GMO free and the right to eat GMO free”. Individuals and other groups such as the Going Organic network in Alberta will make similar donations to honour Victor’s vigour in protecting ethical and environmental agriculture.

OCIA has also established an annual Victor Chrapko Scholarship for students researching the impact of GMOs. The scholarship will be administered by the OCIA Research and Education board.

Victor and I were paired in an exercise at an organic marketing workshop where we told each others story. I remember being a bit nervous when Victor compared me to a big old tree. Big and old are perhaps not the first words that one hopes come to mind when people think of you. Victor went on to explain about my prairie roots and the fruit that my project was bearing for organics. By the time he finished speaking I was deeply honoured by his words. Victor was like that. He teased a lot. He set a high standard. He wasn’t always politically correct (though he was certainly politically savvy). Sometimes he put people a little bit on edge, but he had a big heart, he was full of life, and I will miss him.

Brenda Frick, Ph.D., P.Ag., is the Senior Research and Extension Associate for Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada at the University of Saskatchewan. She welcomes your comments at 306-966-4975 or via email at organic@usask.ca.

EnSante Winery has a website: www.ensantewinery.com and has been profiled by Pam Irving at http://www.newfarm.org/features/2007/0707/ensante/irving.shtml

 

Posted April 2008