'We've never had hail': Storm shreds lily crops at Black Fox Farm and Distillery

The beginnings of a hail storm hit Black Fox Farms and Distillery last Monday — the farm's first in seven years. Another storm pummelled the province six days later.

"The winds picked up, the rains started coming and then the hail came down. What occurs is that it shreds the plants and leaves lasting damage," said Barb Stefanyshyn, co-owner of the farm, which is located just outside of Saskatoon.

Stefanyshyn and her husband decided not to purchase a separate hail insurance policy for their property.

"We're pretty small and it wasn't worth it. We've never had hail so we took our chances and that's what happened," she said.

The hail at Black Fox was small — about the size of a quarter — and didn't cause any damage to vehicles or structures. 

But Stefanyshyn predicts her farm will lose much of their lily crop this year.

"They will not come back," she said.

"Even the buds that weren't open are damaged so anything coming in the future is unsellable."

Hail the size of golf balls

The second storm in a week, on Sunday evening, dumped large hail on a number of Saskatchewan communities.

A cold front that swept across the province set off severe thunderstorms in the central part of the province.

Environment Canada reports tennis ball-sized hail fell in Big River, and golf ball-sized hail fell in Chitek Lake and Dalmeny.

There were also several tornado warnings issued, but no actual funnel clouds or tornadoes were reported.

Saskatchewan Government Insurance was unable to provide the current number of hail claims, as the insurance provider is still receiving reports of damage from across the province.

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