Condolences are pouring in for Clarke Gourlay, who died in a hiking accident in Strathcona Park on June 29. The family made the announcement July 1 via the social media channels of Little Qualicum Cheeseworks and MooBerry Winery, the two businesses for which Gourlay is best known. A tireless advocate for farmers since starting Morningstar …
Japanese beetle fight continues
Summertime, and pest control workers are doing their best to make sure the living ain’t easy for Japanese beetle. Regular surveillance by Canadian Food Inspection Agency staff discovered the invasive pest in the False Creek area in 2017, and increased surveillance in 2018 saw 2,088 traps placed. By the end of the season last year, …
Province blinks on ALR
VICTORIA—Growing criticism of the province’s efforts to tighten protection of the province’s Agricultural Land Reserve is prompting the province to backtrack on some of the new regulations. A late-night bulletin the BC Ministry of Agriculture posted on June 18 indicates that rules governing second homes in the ALR would allow a grandfathering period. “As the …
BC hop industry matures despite challenges
ABBOTSFORD—BC’s hop industry faces a bright future as the industry consolidates around growers with long-term plans, but plenty of challenges remain. Growers harvested approximately 200,000 pounds last year, a crop that was dried and shipped to brewers across Canada, the US and beyond North America. “We’re getting more interest and we’re also developing a number …
FIRB sides with K&M on annualized production
ABBOTSFORD—The BC Farm Industry Review Board has approved K&M Farms’ application to continue its practice of annualizing its production of pasture-reared chicken. Annualized production means that instead of growing an equal amount of chicken each production cycle – five a year for roasters or seven for broilers – a grower’s yearly quota is grown in …
Clifton Ranch aims for better beef, habitat
KEREMEOS—The Clifton family was extremely pleased to receive the 2019 Ranch Sustainability Award from the BC Cattlemen’s Association, but the initiatives designed to improve habitat on the family’s ranch weren’t done for attention. “We didn’t start out to do this with the idea of winning an award,” says Wade Clifton, who undertook the projects with …