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Nora Cumming, manager at Longview Farms, said the Central Saanich operation normally has about 24 foreign workers, but hired fewer because its on-site accommodations were limited due to COVID-19 safety protocols. “We need the help,” she said Wednesday. “This year with the weather our flowers are ripening faster than usual, so there is a high demand for workers.” It’s all about timing with daffodils. The flowers need to be picked, bundled and shipped before they bloom, so that when they hit retail outlets across Canada and the western U.S. the yellow flowers are only starting to emerge. The harvest of Longview’s 50 acres started in early February and is continuing this month.