BC ranchers and the agriculture sector at large is losing a champion as Kevin Boon leaves the province to become CEO of the Saskatchewan Cattle Association on November 1. Boon has been general manager of the BC Cattlemen’s Association (BCCA) since 2009, but will move to Regina in the coming weeks. The position appealed to …
Insurance under scrutiny
ABBOTSFORD – BC residents suffered significant losses this year as wind, wildfire and floods walloped their farms and properties. But insurance payouts will cover just a fraction of these losses. According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, total insurable losses as of mid-December totalled less than $650 million. “A brand new farm building should have …
High grain prices welcome, but harvest falls flat
DAWSON CREEK – This year’s high commodity prices should be good news for Peace River growers but extreme heat cut yields and left some producers with as little as 30% of a normal crop. “The heat dome in southern BC also hit us up north. We broke records and our crops dried right out, and …
Interior ranchers feel forgotten
PRINCETON – All hands were on deck to help residents in Abbotsford and the eastern Fraser Valley after record rainfall in mid November cut highway connections to the rest of Canada. Repair crews rushed to remove debris from major freight corridors, including Hwy 7, the Coquihalla and Hwy 1. But ranchers in the southern Interior …
Kootenay growers target winter deliveries
CASTLEGAR – With about eight weeks before their inaugural season of weekly produce box deliveries was complete, Skattebo Acres owners Mira Fahrenbruch and Matt McClelland decided to take on a new challenge by launching weekly winter boxes. But space was a bit of an issue. “You can’t just till another 100-foot bed,” says Fahrenbruch. To …
A century of dairy farming in Pitt Meadows
PITT MEADOWS – Severinski Farms reached a golden milestone this fall, one recognized with the province’s Century Farm and Ranch Award. The celebration in September was attended by nearly 200 people, including friends, family and local politicians. It was a special moment for the entire family, but especially Harry and Louise Severinski, who have been …