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WC DAIRY NEWS  CHRISTMAS 2024 7
Suzanne and Ben’s young children Erin, Thomas and
Yvonne and Heinz’s cow ROEMERS GOLDSUN AVA topped the
‘The Silvermaple succession plan’ - Suzanne & Ben, Thomas
Natalie spent a lot of time in the barn with them!
VI Holstein Club Sale in 2015.
& Catherine, and grandsons Conner, Mackenzie & Riley.
Heifer is a descendent of SILVERMAPLE DAMION CAMOMILE
EX-95 7* - 2X All-American and All-Canadian.
Management (Yvonne), and Landscape
Design (Suzanne). While Suzanne stayed
in the city to work for a landscape design
company, Yvonne headed back to the Island
and spent six months selling real estate
while milking at home. “I hated it,” says
Yvonne of the real estate world, “I finally
asked my dad if I could come home and
farm full-time, that’s what I wanted more
than anything, and it was the best decision
I ever made.” When Yvonne got married in
1984, Suzanne headed back to the farm to
milk for her dad, which she continued after
her own wedding in 1985.
events, as Diana and Josh stay busy with
their three young children. “Mom was always
determined to create a herd with superior
genetics. She took pride in the quality of her
work, being a leader and helping to pave the
way for women in our industry,” says Diana.
Silvermaple Farms
Suzanne and Ben were married in 1985.
At the time, Suzanne was milking at home
and Ben was working on his family farm,
Cuthbert Dairy Farms Ltd. In 1988, the couple
purchased their current location in Ladysmith
and started farming under the SILVERMAPLE
prefix. “Ben was very much into purebred
cows and genetics,” says Suzanne, “He went
to a sale with Rod Rendle and spent our
honeymoon money on a heifer!” The heifer
was HIPOWER TEMPO JIFF, who went on to
be VG-87 and still has descendants in the
herd today.
Currently, their 300-head purebred Holstein
herd including 110 cows is milked with two
DeLaval robots. While they have always
selected sires with type in mind, almost all
the bulls they use now are A2A2. “We started
doing that because of our daughter Erin, who
can only drink A2A2 milk,” says Suzanne, “But
if we grow some more, we might consider
processing our milk and A2A2 is good
marketing.”
Suzanne is still actively involved in the day-
to-day operations at Silvermaple, getting
up every morning with Ben, feeding calves,
dealing with robot calls, and managing all
the paperwork at the farm. “I love it,” says
Suzanne, “and as long as that’s the case I’ll
keep doing it.” While Ben and Suzanne work
with their son Thomas daily, daughter Erin
(Lead BC Dairy Inspector), and daughter
Natalie (dental hygiene practitioner), still help
from time to time. Erin says, “My mom instilled
in us a strong work ethic and patience, there
was never a shortage of kittens or peacock
chicks on the porch that she helped us take
care of! I’m grateful for her encouragement
to explore the world and pursue passions off
the farm.”
Collectively Yvonne
and Suzanne have been
Directors of the VI
Holstein Club for more
than 50 years!
A defining moment came in February
1994, when Suzanne and Ben lost their
son Patrick (5 years old) in a tragic farm
accident. With the farming community
rallied around them, Suzanne says, “At first,
it’s all so overwhelming, you just function
and hope that each day gets a bit better.”
The accident changed the way they did
things at the farm, especially when it came
to operating machinery. It reflects how they
see their grandchildren now around the
farm as well, with all tractors having jump
seats and seatbelts. The loss of her nephew
changed things for Yvonne too. “We always
made sure that I rarely had to be around the
equipment when the kids were home,” says
Yvonne. “They would be in the barn with me.”
is changing. “In our generation, things
started to change,” says Suzanne. “Now for
a woman to manage a farm on their own is
less of a big deal,” adds Yvonne, “Lots of
women have proven they can do it!”
Looking back at their parents, Suzanne
says, “Mom was the farm wife and Dad
was the farmer, but Mom was every bit as
involved.” Yvonne adds, “Dad always said,
‘The girls are better farmers,’ and he was
always so proud of that.” Currently watching
their daughters forge their paths in the dairy
industry has made both women very proud.
Although their respective farms are about
45 minutes apart, Yvonne and Suzanne
Yvonne and Suzanne agree that one of
have remained close, “We’re definitely best
the toughest and most frustrating things
friends,” says Suzanne. Whether it was
about being a woman in dairy is being taken
prioritizing family time, scheduled around
seriously. “It’s still a man’s world in a lot of
milking and weekends off, volunteering as
ways,” says Suzanne, “People come onto
4-H leaders, serving as directors of the
the farm and want to talk to the husband.”
Scotiabank Lighthouse, 100 Y onge St., 5th Floor, Toronto ON, M5C 2W1
Vancouver Island Holstein Club or other
File: 4554156 CCB | Agriculture ad - update Workfront#: 4554156
Yvonne says, “That was especially true
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Scotiabank Lighthouse, 100 Y onge St., 5th Floor, Toronto ON, M5C 2W1
committees, Yvonne and Suzanne have not
File: 4554156 CCB | Agriculture ad - update Bleed: .125” when it came to semen salesman!” But both
Workfront#: 4554156
Deadline: Aug 9 2024
Trim: 8.375” x 10.875” Colours: CMYK Insertion: --
Scotiabank Lighthouse, 100 Y onge St., 5th Floor, Toronto ON, M5C 2W1
Safety: n/a Designer: MG Prod:
only participated in the dairy industry, they
Bleed: .125” File: 4554156 CCB | Agriculture ad - update women are equally pleased that the stigma
Deadline: Aug 9 2024
Workfront#: 4554156
have thrived in it.
Trim: 8.375” x 10.875” Colours: CMYK Insertion: --
Safety: n/a Designer: MG Prod:
Bleed: .125” Deadline: Aug 9 2024
Safety: n/a Designer: MG Prod:
Scotiabank Lighthouse, 100 Y onge St., 5th Floor, Toronto ON, M5C 2W1
File: 4554156 CCB | Agriculture ad - update Trim: 8.375” x 10.875” Colours: CMYK Insertion: --
Bleed: .125” Workfront#: 4554156
Deadline: Aug 9 2024
Safety: n/a Designer: MG Prod:
Silvermaple Holsteins, Junior Premier
Breeder & Exhibitor - VI Show 2023.
Two Farms, Same Shared Drive
Roemer Farms
Yvonne married Heinz Roemer in 1984 and
moved to his family farm, where they still
live, in Mill Bay. While Heinz has always been
a good cowman, his first love is machinery,
which was a great fit for Yvonne, who
prefers to be in the barn. “I can operate
the equipment, but I’d rather be with the
cows,” she says. Her father-in-law Erich,
who was equally passionate about cows,
slowly started letting Yvonne take on more
responsibility when it came to the herd. “We
were close,” says Yvonne, “We spent a lot
of time talking about what kind of cows we
wanted to milk and various sires. He taught
me a lot about herd health, breeding, and
reading proof-sheets.”
Yvonne and Heinz raised three children
on the farm, Tia, Karl and Diana, and at
its busiest time they milked 120 purebred
Holsteins. In 2015, they downsized slightly to
80 cows, which was followed by a complete
dispersal of their herd in 2018 after Heinz
was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.
During that time, Diana and husband Josh
came home to the farm and have since
started their own Jersey operation in the
same barn, now equipped with a Lely robot.
“Looking back, I wasn’t really ready to
retire,” Yvonne says thoughtfully, “But now
I’m helping my daughter daily, and watching
her develop in this business has been
great.” Feeding calves, sharing the breeding
responsibilities, and doing night checks
with Diana gives the mother-daughter duo
a chance to stay caught up on the day’s
A Parallel Path
It may not have always been easy, but Yvonne
and Suzanne talk candidly about raising their
families on the farm. “It was certainly a lot of
work,” says Yvonne, “There’s a lot of balancing
to do all the time, especially when the kids
get older and get involved in sports and 4-H.”
A shared laugh reminds them both of the
playpens and strollers that were often found
in the barn in the early years. But no matter
how busy things got, both women agree that
if they had to do it all over again, they’d do it
in a heartbeat.
When it comes to agriculture, we get it.
When it comes to agriculture, we get When it comes to agriculture, we get it.
We are committed to supporting our people, our communities and our businesses.
Our Agricultural Specialists can help coordinate practical strategies and flexible products
We are committed to supporting our people, our communities and our businesses.
We are committed to supporting our people, our communities and our businesses.
and solutions that works for your unique needs.
Our Agricultural Specialists can help coordinate practical strategies and flexible products
Our Agricultural Specialists can help coordinate practical strategies and flexible products
and solutions that works for your unique needs.
Jason Warmerdam
and solutions that works for your unique needs.
Nicole Webb
Associate Director & Team Lead,
Jason Warmerdam
When it comes to agriculture, we get it.
Director, BC Agriculture
Nicole Webb
Agriculture Banking
National Accounts
Jason Warmerdam
Associate Director & Team Lead,
Nicole Webb
Director, BC Agriculture
604.845.4760
236.522.1343
Associate Director & Team Lead,
Agriculture Banking
National Accounts
We are committed to supporting our people, our communities and our businesses.
Director, BC Agriculture
jason.warmerdam@scotiabank.com
nicole.webb@scotiabank.com
604.845.4760
Agriculture Banking
236.522.1343
National Accounts
Our Agricultural Specialists can help coordinate practical strategies and flexible products
jason.warmerdam@scotiabank.com
Dariann Kloot
604.845.4760
and solutions that works for your unique needs.
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Michelle Forrest
236.522.1343
BBA, Sr. Client Relationship Manager
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604.328.0494
778.548.7844
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BBA, Sr. Client Relationship Manager
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BBA, Client Relationship Manager
dariann.kloot@scotiabank.com
Dariann Kloot
michelle.forrest@scotiabank.com
Associate Director & Team Lead,
Michelle Forrest
604.328.0494
778.548.7844
Director, BC Agriculture
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Agriculture Banking
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National Accounts
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Devin Rollinson
BBA, Client Relationship Manager
604.845.4760
604.328.0494
Client Relationship Manager
236.522.1343
778.548.7844
Associate Director,
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jason.warmerdam@scotiabank.com
Devin Rollinson
236.622.1896
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BC Agriculture National Accounts
michelle.forrest@scotiabank.com
Client Relationship Manager
Associate Director,
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604.855.2728
Dariann Kloot
236.622.1896
Raj Grewal
Michelle Forrest
BC Agriculture National Accounts
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devin.rollinson@scotiabank.com
BBA, Sr. Client Relationship Manager
rajdeep.grewal@scotiabank.com
Jill Tataryn
Client Relationship Manager
604.855.2728
BBA, Client Relationship Manager
Associate Director,
604.328.0494
Director, BC
778.548.7844
devin.rollinson@scotiabank.com
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236.622.1896
Jill Tataryn
dariann.kloot@scotiabank.com
BC Agriculture National Accounts
Agriculture National Accounts
michelle.forrest@scotiabank.com
Director and Head,
Director, BC
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604.855.2728
236.622.1261
National Accounts
Raj Grewal
Agriculture National Accounts
Devin Rollinson
Director and Head,
jill.tataryn@scotiabank.com
604.798.7396
devin.rollinson@scotiabank.com
Client Relationship Manager
236.622.1261
Jill Tataryn
Associate Director,
National Accounts
236.622.1896
henri.peeters@scotiabank.com
Director, BC
jill.tataryn@scotiabank.com
604.798.7396
BC Agriculture National Accounts
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Agriculture National Accounts
604.855.2728
For more information on our complete suite of services, contact one
henri.peeters@scotiabank.com
Director and Head,
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236.622.1261
of our specialists or visit www.scotiabank.com/agriculturalservices.
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National Accounts
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Director, BC
Henri Peeters
604.798.7396
of our specialists or visit www.scotiabank.com/agriculturalservices.
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236.622.1261
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604.798.7396
For more information on our complete suite of services, contact one
® Registered trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia.
henri.peeters@scotiabank.com
of our specialists or visit www.scotiabank.com/agriculturalservices.
For more information on our complete suite of services, contact one
of our specialists or visit www.scotiabank.com/agriculturalservices.
® Registered trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia.
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it.