BC residents consider themselves proud supporters of local agriculture but a new survey for Farm Credit Canada indicates that they’re also the least likely to buy Canadian food whenever possible. Despite significant provincial investment over the past three years in local purchasing programs such as Buy BC and Feed BC, which was recently expanded to …
Well-designed vegetable coolers make for hot sales
MARA – It’s a feat to grow outstanding vegetables, but without proper storage all that goodness can be lost. In 28 years of farming, Hermann Bruns and wife Louise, owners of Mara-based Wild Flight Farm, have learned a thing or two about how to keep produce in the kind of condition that delivers profits to …
Premises ID to be mandatory
All livestock producers will be required to register for Premises ID by next year. Participation is currently voluntary, but BC agriculture minister Lana Popham says industry demand has prompted the government to develop new regulations under the BC Animal Health Act making it mandatory. “BC farmers and ranchers have been clear that a new regulation …
Feed BC expands to post-secondary institutions
Nine post-secondary institutions have signed on with the province’s FeedBC program, with a goal to increasing the use of BC food in campus kitchens to 30%. Participating institutions include BCIT, Camosun College, Selkirk College, SFU, Thompson Rivers University, UBC, University of the Fraser Valley, University of Northern British Columbia and Vancouver Community College. The schools …
Dairy picks new entrant short list
Ten candidates will advance to the next round of the dairy industry’s new entrant program selection process, following a random draw on February 8. The draw was conducted by the Council of Marketing Boards using an online selection process, which generated the random results. A representative of the BC Milk Marketing Board and independent observer …
Gala event celebrates success
Agricultural excellence was celebrated at this year’s BC Agriculture Council gala on January 28, with 400 households tuning in after a day of seminars as part of the Lower Mainland Horticultural Improvement Association short course alongside the Pacific Agriculture Show. Bev Whitta, Gary Funk and Carmen Wakeling were honoured for their contributions to BC agriculture …