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Originally published:

July 2017
Vol. 103 Issue 7

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Stories In This Edition

4-H Gator draw

Poultry Abuse underscores need to measure up

Political uncertainty creates angst

Water tops list of ranchers’ concerns at AGM

Editorial: Trust is an active verb

Back Forty: Time to celebrate our home and rural land

Greenhouse growers propose infrastructure project

Letter: Seat belts must be worn at all times

Ag Brief: Blueberry growers pack meeting

Ag Brief: Blueberry growers pack meeting

Barn fires spark focus on prevention

Emergency plan critical for livestock owners

BCAC hires new communications director

Abbotsford seeks exclusion to boost industrial land base

Otter Co-op posts another record-breaking year

Food report card gives BC passing grade

Agriculture’s success testifies to investment funding

Ag Brief: Hullcar abatement order shut down

Mission investigation inconclusive

Abbotsford tickets thousands

Price set as growers eye ambitious growth target

High prices, change coming for nurseries

BC tree fruit outlooks is a bowl of cherries

BC greenhouses are family-friendly operations

Sidebar: Why greenhouses aren’t organic

Greenhouse showcases production systems

BC agricultual history depicted in museum murals

BC agriculture vital part of Canada’s 150 years

Research: Grazing time for cows

Deep roots give Shannon Farm bright future

Fraser Lake ranchers honoured for excellence

Cattlemen invest in research to boost productivity

New livestock industry co-ordinator embraces dream job

Researchers study sheep diseases to understand potential risks

Blueberry processors focus on fruit quality

Sidebar: SWD can make timing harvest tricky

Urban growing, libations and greenhouses

Municipalities committing to urban farming

Young farmers hear production, packing trips

Pencil Patch offers hands-on experience

Summer camps foster farm focus for kids

New group of 4-H Ambassadors engage BC

Woodshed:

Just when you thought it couldn’t get worse

Jude’s Kitchen: Summertime

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3 days ago

Congratulations to Travis and Brad Hopcott of Hopcott Farms for taking top honours as Canada's Outstanding Young Farmers last week in Laval, Quebec. For more, see this week's FARM NEWS UPDATE at www.countrylifeinbc.com/hopcotts-win-oyf#BCAGd#clinbcAg #CLinBC ... See MoreSee Less

Congratulations to Travis and Brad Hopcott of Hopcott Farms for taking top honours as Canadas Outstanding Young Farmers last week in Laval, Quebec. For more, see this weeks FARM NEWS UPDATE at https://www.countrylifeinbc.com/hopcotts-win-oyf-canada/

#BCAg #CLinBC
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Congratulations to all of you. You have done a tremendous job growing your business

Congratulations from Coniagas Ranches! Your business is awesome!!!

Thank you so much! 😁

Congratulations Travis!

Well done ! Well deserved

Congratulations

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5 days ago

Congratulations to Chilliwack’s Ben Janzen, former chair of the BC Milk Marketing Board, who received the BC Dairy Achievement Award from Jim Byrne of the BC Dairy Historical Society on November 23. Byrne hailed Janzen’s selfless work on behalf of the industry, first as a member of the first producer-elected board of Agrifoods International Cooperative in 1996 then as chair of the BC Milk Marketing Board for five years from 2016. "These successes have allowed the industry to increase processing capacity and develop initiatives that, when completed, will provide processing for growth for many years to come,” Byrne said. In response, Janzen expressed gratitude while emphasizing the determination and resilience of producers in the face of challenges. “You’re the ones that make this industry great,” he said.

#BCAg #CLinBC
... See MoreSee Less

Congratulations to Chilliwack’s Ben Janzen, former chair of the BC Milk Marketing Board, who received the BC Dairy Achievement Award from Jim Byrne of the BC Dairy Historical Society on November 23. Byrne hailed Janzen’s selfless work on behalf of the industry, first as a member of the first producer-elected board of Agrifoods International Cooperative in 1996 then as chair of the BC Milk Marketing Board for five years from 2016. These successes have allowed the industry to increase processing capacity and develop initiatives that, when completed, will provide processing for growth for many years to come,” Byrne said. In response, Janzen expressed gratitude while emphasizing the determination and resilience of producers in the face of challenges. “You’re the ones that make this industry great,” he said.

#BCAg #CLinBC
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I don't understand? Maybe it's my own ignorance but don't we produce way more milk than we use and force farmers to dump anything above their quota to ensure the prices stay high? Wouldn't we want to keep the retail price as low as possible while ensuring farmers receive their required compensation? Wouldn't that be worth an award? Help me understand 🤷‍♂️

Is this guy a reason why I cannot buy whole unpasteurized milk for my own personal use, yeah personal use even to make glue ...but really I don't carecwhy anyone wants whole unpasteurized milk ..it is Not my business..and nor should it be the business of bearacracy ..so in mho ppfffft

2 weeks ago

We are profoundly saddened to announce the passing of veteran farm journalist and Country Life in BC editor emeritus David Schmidt. He died suddenly in Chilliwack on November 20. For 35 years, David was the face and voice of Country Life in BC, covering producer meetings across the Fraser Valley and throughout BC. His reporting earned many national awards and he was honoured with several lifetime achievement awards, including the 2018 Scotiabank Champion of Agriculture, as he edged toward retirement at the start of the pandemic in 2020. He was, as one former ag minister eloquently put it, the "encyclopedia of BC agriculture." We will miss him terribly. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced. For more, see today's FARM NEWS UPDATE - www.countrylifeinbc.com/bc-agriculture-loses-a-champion/ ... See MoreSee Less

We are profoundly saddened to announce the passing of veteran farm journalist and Country Life in BC editor emeritus David Schmidt. He died suddenly in Chilliwack on November 20. For 35 years, David was the face and voice of Country Life in BC, covering producer meetings across the Fraser Valley and throughout BC. His reporting earned many national awards and he was honoured with several lifetime achievement awards,  including the 2018 Scotiabank Champion of Agriculture, as he edged toward retirement at the start of the pandemic in 2020. He was, as one former ag minister eloquently put it, the encyclopedia of BC agriculture. We will miss him terribly. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced. For more, see todays FARM NEWS UPDATE - https://www.countrylifeinbc.com/bc-agriculture-loses-a-champion/
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Very sad to hear of his loss…amazing dedication to Country Life.

He will be missed. His dedication to the agricullture industry was exceptional and conversattions with David were always welcomed

David was just an exceptional person . He had an unbridled passion for Agriculture. He will be so missed in this Industry. Condolences to David's family and friends.

Condolences to David's family and also his work family. He was a veteran agricultural supporter and reporter, and in his younger days attended every agricultural event he possibly could! He always had insightful views on the current agricultural state of affairs in the Fraser Valley, and also on the government programs and relief offered. He will definitely be missed in the Fraser Valley agricultural community.

David's thoughtful, careful and insightful reporting set a standard in farm reporting in BC, and much further. He will be very much missed.

Deepest Sympathy to family and friends.

Our most heartfelt condolences.

Very sad to hear this.

Sad to hear 😞

Very sorry to hear this. David was a first class journalist and an all around good human being.

Rip David.

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3 weeks ago

An agriculture plan progress report presented to Kelowna council November 6 shows a drop in the number of active farm operations in the Central Okanagan region since 2017. Six years ago, there were 1,034 actively farmed parcels; today, there are 983, according to BC Assessment data. Read more in this week's FARM NEWS UPDATE bitly.ws/ZScG ... See MoreSee Less

An agriculture plan progress report presented to Kelowna council November 6 shows a drop in the number of active farm operations in the Central Okanagan region since 2017. Six years ago, there were 1,034 actively farmed parcels; today, there are 983, according to BC Assessment data. Read more in this weeks FARM NEWS UPDATE https://bitly.ws/ZScG
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3 weeks ago

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Abbotsford seeks exclusion to boost industrial land

July 1, 2017 byPeter Mitham

ABBOTSFORD – Abbotsford has taken a proposal to exclude a total of 696 acres from the Agricultural Land Reserve to the public. The land is meant to recharge an industrial land base of 2,069 acres that is nearly exhausted, thanks to an outflow of industrial users from Metro Vancouver – many of which are now leaping over the city towards Chilliwack in search of land.

“We’re going to be out of serviced industrial land in about four to five years,” explained Abbotsford mayor HenryAbbotsford Braun prior to an open house in mid-May.

Right now, the city has approximately 212 acres of vacant, readily developable industrial land. Many are in smaller parcels, unsuitable for large-scale industrial development.

“The stuff that we have left is small chunks that are not contiguous – they’re half an acre here, and an acre there and two acres there,” Braun said. “If you tried to find 10 acres of industrial land in Abbotsford, I don’t know where there is a piece.”

This has led some companies to look east to Chilliwack.

Abbotsford was a possibility for MolsonCoors, for example, but Chilliwack had the land and rail access that clinched the deal.

“When they first approached us, they were looking for 18 acres, preferably on rail,” Braun said. “We had two properties that we could direct them to but then they decided for future expansion that they needed 25 acres. That knocked us out of the ballpark. We don’t have 25 acres on rail.”

Chilliwack, while facing the depletion of its own stock of industrial land, had the good fortune of having won an exclusion from the ALR that accommodated agricultural and food processing uses. This was perfect for MolsonCoors, while Abbotsford-based Berryhill Foods Inc. opened a blueberry processing plant on an adjacent parcel last year. Chilliwack also saw Pacific Coast Heavy Truck Group acquire a six-acre parcel while Pacific Dairy Centre Ltd. is relocating its headquarters from Abbotsford to a 10-acre parcel on Chilliwack Mountain Road.

Abbotsford’s new official community plan (OCP) limits residential development to existing areas, but the lack of industrial land and loss of companies to other municipalities has the city taking a second look at its agricultural land base.

The first look came in 2004, when Abbotsford identified a need for 1,300 acres to accommodate industrial growth. It asked the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) for 925 acres but received just 445 acres.

Now, the city is thinking strategically, targeting land adjacent to Gloucester Industrial Estates in Langley and the Southern Rail line as well as parcels north of Abbotsford International Airport. Together, the parcels represent approximately 1% of the city’s agricultural land base. The majority are less than 10 acres, a size that makes them less likely to be farmed. (Typically, efforts to make agricultural properties less vulnerable to exclusion have focused on limiting subdivision and reduced parcel size.)

Abbotsford residents like Nancy Teichgraf know there’s no easy answer for the city.

“It’s tough. I’m all for business but we are the city in the country,” she said as she considered the city’s open house. “I’m for our wonderful raspberry capital of Canada … [but] I do find the development of site B is perfect … [there’s] only a few raspberry fields.”

But the loss of farmland now diminishes opportunities for farmers in the future, said Jill Robbins, a director of the BC Young Farmers who operates K&M Farms with her parents. K&M farms is in the Bradner Road area Abbotsford is proposing for industrial use.

“We’re all dealing with a fixed land base on some level, so how come they can always claw back from ag land but they don’t ask industrial to tighten up their boots?” Robbins asked. “Where is the breaking point? There is zero hope or future for young farmers when this keeps happening.”

K&M is in one of the areas Abbotsford wants to exclude, but Robbins says its success shows the potential for small-lot agriculture.

“Some people will say that a five-acre parcel is worthless. I farm seven acres and I make over $100,000 a year. There is very intensified vegetable production. Chicken barns only need a couple of acres and they make a ton of money on a small acreage,” she said. “Who is planning for the growth of agriculture? Where is the growth and the vision for agriculture? Somehow we have to co-exist.”

With files from Ronda Payne

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