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Originally published:

May 2017
Vol. 103 Issue 5

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Stories In This Edition

Wet spring sets back crops across province

Farmland values rise on expansion

Ag council welcomes fish farmers to table

Editorial: United we stand

The Back Forty: Time to haul manure, and get ready to vote

OP ED: When producers and special interest groups collide

Parties offer competing visions of ag future

Milk board embarks on FIRB-ordered quota review

Grow & Gather Farm Expo gives small ag a big venue

Delta farmers in growing battle against waterfowl

Yarn spins a sustainable future for greenhouses

BC tech solutions address farm challenges

Fully subscribed: ARDCorp

Worker housing concerns growing in Okanagan

Union busting broken

Coral Beach pairs foreign, domestic worker housing

Foundation invests millions in agriculture projects

Agriplex gathers momentum in Comox

Holsteins, Jerseys showcased at Okanagan show

Big Show, big money

Record price set at BC Holstein sale

WestGen posts multi-million dollar surplus

Grape growers hone in on water issues

Sustainability matters

BC prepares to deliver clean vines

Hot dam

Range use planning critical for OK ranchers

Predator program having positive impact

A good season for BC bull sales

Ag Briefs:

New pricing formula for chickens on hold

Etsell leaves blueberries

Workers plead guilty

Vancouver boots chickens off city farmers

Livestock tag reader funding

Big crop, bigger levy, boost raspberry council’s fortunes

Importer support needed for berry agency

Research matters

Using math to improve sheep productivity

Farmers market splits over question of “local”

Local leeway for markets

Beyond the Market program extended

Entrepreneur launches food recovery platform

Thrips in a changing climate

The pros and cons of organic agriculture

No summers off for these education assistants

Woodshed Chronicles:

Henderson is found at the end of his rope

Plow match unforrows brows about farming

4-H BC: Change at head office

FV 4-H Ambassador receives top award

Mentoring a new crop of northern farmers

Jude’s Kitchen:

Berry-full season

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3 days ago

A turkey farm in West Abbotsford is the second commercial poultry flock to tested positive for avian influenza since the initial case was reported in Enderby on April 13. CFIA announced the case May 19, but has yet to define the control zone. Ray Nickel of the BC Poultry Association says more than 50 farms are in the vicinity of the infected premises, meaning control measures — including movement controls — will have a significant impact on the industry. The supply of birds moving into the country from US hatcheries will also be affected, compounding the host of supply chain issues growers have been dealing with over the past year. A story in our June issue will provide further details. ... See MoreSee Less

A turkey farm in West Abbotsford is the second commercial poultry flock to tested positive for avian influenza since the initial case was reported in Enderby on April 13. CFIA announced the case May 19, but has yet to define the control zone. Ray Nickel of the BC Poultry Association says more than 50 farms are in the vicinity of the infected premises, meaning control measures — including movement controls — will have a significant impact on the industry. The supply of birds moving into the country from US hatcheries will also be affected, compounding the host of supply chain issues growers have been dealing with over the past year. A story in our June issue will provide further details.
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2 weeks ago

The province has extended the order requiring regulated commercial poultry operations to keep their birds indoors through June 13. Originally set to expire this Friday, the order was extended after a careful review by the province's deputy chief veterinarian. Poultry at seven premises, all but one of them backyard flocks, have tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza since April 13. The order allows small-scale producers to continue pasturing their birds outdoors provided biosecurity protocols developed by the Small-Scale Meat producers Association are followed. ... See MoreSee Less

The province has extended the order requiring regulated commercial poultry operations to keep their birds indoors through June 13. Originally set to expire this Friday, the order was extended after a careful review by the provinces deputy chief veterinarian. Poultry at seven premises, all but one of them backyard flocks, have tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza since April 13. The order allows small-scale producers to continue pasturing their birds outdoors provided biosecurity protocols developed by the Small-Scale Meat producers Association are followed.
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Sounds like 2 weeks to flatten the curve turning into 2 years.

USDA doing avian vax research, May 11 bio-docs to UN incl section on H5N8 w/wild bird spread. Found link to apparent pre-release on May 11 Geller Report. Good luck farmers.

3 weeks ago

Two more small flocks in BC have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza. The latest cases are in Richmond and Kelowna. CFIA is in the process of determining a control zone around the property in Richmond, the first report in the Fraser Valley of the H5N1 strain of the virus among poultry. Speaking to Country Life in BC this week, federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said CFIA staff are working diligently to address outbreaks, and she encourages small flock owners to do the same. While commercial farms have tightened biosecurity measures, owners of small flocks have greater freedom. “Some smaller ones don’t necessarily have these measures in place,” Bibeau says. “They should also be extremely careful, because if we have a case in a backyard flock ... it could have an impact on bigger commercial installations.” ... See MoreSee Less

Two more small flocks in BC have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza. The latest cases are in Richmond and Kelowna. CFIA is in the process of determining a control zone around the property in Richmond, the first report in the Fraser Valley of the H5N1 strain of the virus among poultry. Speaking to Country Life in BC this week, federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said CFIA staff are working diligently to address outbreaks, and she encourages small flock owners to do the same. While commercial farms have tightened biosecurity measures, owners of small flocks have greater freedom. “Some smaller ones don’t necessarily have these measures in place,” Bibeau says. “They should also be extremely careful, because if we have a case in a backyard flock ... it could have an impact on bigger commercial installations.”
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Killing our food chain. How do we know they are actually carrying a virus, look what's taking place with covid, is it real.

Ik kan niet zo goed Engels maar als ik het goed begrijp is bij jullie ook vogelgriep maar nog niet bij jullie

Any idea when this episode or bird flu might be over?

3 weeks ago

Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC welcomed its first new members in 20 years at its AGM on April 27. The BC Blueberry Council, BC Cherry Association, BC Cranberry Marketing Commission, BC Food & Beverage Association, BC Meats and Organic BC were approved as members, bringing the IAFBC’s membership to 15 farm and food organizations. IAFBC is also growing in responsibility, managing a record $8.3 million in funding from six funding agencies and developing new programs to support the agriculture sector including Farmland Advantage and Agricultural Climate Solutions. ... See MoreSee Less

Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC welcomed its first new members in 20 years at its AGM on April 27. The BC Blueberry Council, BC Cherry Association, BC Cranberry Marketing Commission, BC Food & Beverage Association, BC Meats and Organic BC were approved as members, bringing the IAFBC’s membership to 15 farm and food organizations. IAFBC is also growing in responsibility, managing a record $8.3 million in funding from six funding agencies and developing new programs to support the agriculture sector including Farmland Advantage and Agricultural Climate Solutions.
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4 weeks ago

A second BC flock has tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the province reported this evening, April 25. The small backyard flock of chicken and ducks near Kelowna has fewer than 100 birds and is relatively isolated. This is the second backyard flock to be suspected of high-path avian influenza in the past week. The other, on Vancouver Island, was found to be AI-free. Amanda Brittain, chief information officer with the BC Poultry Association’s emergency operations centre, says the latest case is of minimal concern to industry because there are no commercial flocks within 12km of the premises. ... See MoreSee Less

A second BC flock has tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the province reported this evening, April 25. The small backyard flock of chicken and ducks near Kelowna has fewer than 100 birds and is relatively isolated. This is the second backyard flock to be suspected of high-path avian influenza in the past week. The other, on Vancouver Island, was found to be AI-free. Amanda Brittain, chief information officer with the BC Poultry Association’s emergency operations centre, says the latest case is of minimal concern to industry because there are no commercial flocks within 12km of the premises.
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Ag council welcomes BC fish farmers to table

May 1, 2017 byDavid Schmidt

ABBOTSFORD – The BC Agriculture Council is adding aquaculture to its roster.

“We farm animals and this is the group that farms animals,” BC Salmon Farmers Association executive director Jerry Dunn told BCAC members at their annual meeting in Abbotsford on April 12, in explaining why BCSFA members want to join.

BCAC chair Stan Vander Waal called land-based salmon farmers a welcome addition.

“We need to talk to (the salmon farmers). You’d be surprised how similar they are to us,” he said, pointing out the BC Ministry of Agriculture includes aquaculture “so government initiatives include seafood.”

Terry Brooks of Agassiz, a 30-year salmon farmer, will represent them on the BCAC board.

“I want to hang out with other farmers,” he said. “People raising the fish are farmers like everyone else. We have a good understanding of the issues.”

BCAC gave salmon farmers their own council seat but is not expanding the board as the BC Pork Producers Association have merged their position with the BC Cattlemen’s Association.

Although the BCSFA has only 50 members, their farmgate receipts make aquaculture the third largest group in BCAC, behind only dairy and poultry.

BCAC also approved adding the BC Mushroom Growers Association. Mushroom growers will not receive their own seat, instead joining one of the four horticulture groups already represented at the board.

“I think it’s great that people want to join BCAC,” said BC Fruit Growers Association president Fred Steele, who was completing his term as a BCAC director. “We need to broaden our base. It will raise our profile.”

Although BCAC added aquaculture and mushrooms to their mix, they lost community agriculture with the dissolution of FARM – the Food and Agriculture Responsibility Members Community Council – in February.

Megan D’Arcy of the Smithers Farmers Institute, FARM’s representative who shared a director’s position with Certified Organic Associations of BC executive director Jen Gamble, hopes the absence is temporary.

She called it “a loss of a voice for small-scale farmers. We still want representation and are exploring options such as linking with such groups as the BC Food Systems Network and the BC Association of Farmers’ Markets.”

Vander Waal promised to work with them, saying “it’s important for us to include that group. We need them at the table.”

Brooks’ addition is not the only change to the 2017 BCAC board. With pork producers giving up their seat, Rolf Soth has departed as a director. As well, Sukhpaul Bal of Kelowna is replacing Steele as the interior horticulture director while Barry Follensbee of Dawson Creek is replacing Garnet Berge as the grain, oilseeds and forage director. The BC Poultry Association has yet to name a replacement for Raymond Bredenhof who has also stepped down.

Public trust

Effective representation for and from all sectors of agriculture is just one of BCAC’s priorities for 2017. Vander Waal identified collaboration, delivery of programs and services, increasing operational capacity and building public trust as other priorities for the year ahead.

Although BCAC did not host an ag day, it is a priority for this fall so the industry can connect with the new provincial government. Executive director Reg Ens also announced the council has posted a notice for a new director of communication and engagement.

One of the hire’s new responsibilities will be to lead the council’s public trust initiative. Council members approved a special levy totaling $100,000 to fund the proposed program.

Building public trust is critical, says Farm Credit Canada director of industry and stakeholder relations Mark Seymour. FCC hired the cattleman and former chief executive officer of the Canadian Western Agribition “to fill a gap” and he has spent the past year traversing the country encouraging producer groups to get on board with the public trust bandwagon.

“Public trust is the only thing that’s bringing Canadian agriculture together,” he says.

While producers consider water the most important ingredient in modern agriculture, Seymour says “trust” is the most important ingredient for consumers.

He said consumers are “way ahead of us” in accessing information, noting half of the planet can now access the Internet everyday.

“People are gathering all their news through social media.”

He says “trust” has more currency that science, pointing out Tim Horton’s ranks among the top 10 most influential companies (Google is number one) and tops the list of “trusted” companies.

“They don’t care about (the cattle industry’s) science.”

“We have to shift the conversation to what we have in common,” Seymour said. That means changing the discussion from production to food while making sure food safety “doesn’t become a point of differentiation.”

Science may not support the perceived benefits of raised without antibiotics (RWA) or cage-free production but consumers and shareholders do. A&W’s share price has gone up 50% since introducing its RWA program. McDonald’s share price has also shot up since committing to all-day breakfasts using cage-free eggs.

Millennial shift

Seymour admits Millennials, who will outnumber Baby Boomers by 2030, can be quite contradictory.

“They buy food online sight unseen but don’t trust food production.”

Their buying habits are also distinctly different. While Baby Boomers spend an average of $93 per month on meat, Millennials spend about $162 per month on meat “because they don’t or can’t cook.”

Seymour challenged his audience to be part of the solution.

His instructions: “Learn more about agriculture.

Talk about food instead of yield. Follow and share online and start with your neighbour.”

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