At this year’s Crystal Awards, the Lifetime Achievement Award was a bit of a misnomer, as it referred to six generations of farmers, with more to come.
Established in the 1860s, Michell’s Farm Market has been a fixture on the Saanich Peninsula, and Terry Michell, who stood with five other family members, said in his acceptance speech the seventh generation was on their way up.
The farming family was just one of 11 award recipients at the 12th-annual business awards, sponsored by the Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce. It celebrates businesses big and small across the Saanich Peninsula with a dinner at the Butchart Gardens’ Blue Poppy Restaurant.
The Michells produce 4,000 tons of produce annually, and over the years saw their farm expand from 100 acres to more than 400. His father Vern, now 87, recalls the days of horse-drawn cultivators. Now the family oversees more than 50 varieties of fruit and vegetables, hay, and beef cattle. Terry said he was proud to purchase locally, with 99 per cent of their supplies coming from B.C. They also support the Rainbow Kitchen, Saanich Peninsula Hospital and Healthcare Foundation, and the Saanich Peninsula Lions Food Bank, among others.
In his keynote, David Forrest of Integral Strategy Network addressed how to reinvent businesses for a changing future. The statistics showed 45 per cent of businesses feared they might be obsolete in three to five years, with 78 per cent fearful of digital startups. As one way of combating this, he said passionate workers perform better and are more productive, and emphasized purpose-driven companies who build relationships with other businesses and their customers.
12th-annual Crystal Award Winners:
Entrepreneurial Spirit: Urban Bee Honey Farm
Green Business: Focus Hair Design
Not-for profit organization: Saanich Peninsula Lions Food Bank
Contribution to the Community: Hughesman Morris CPA
Outstanding Customer Service: All Care Canada
Employer of the Year: Bayshore Home Health
Lifetime Achievement Award: The Michell Family
New Business, Product or Service: Trich Analytics
Newsmaker of the Year: McTavish Academy of Art
Business of the Year (1-15 employees): Pacific Ridge Landscapes
Business of the Year (16+ employees): Titan Boats