RICHMOND – Richmond council’s decision to permit farmhouses up to 10,764 square feet without having to seek a variance didn’t come without a fight. During two long nights of public hearings in May, presenter after presenter spoke out against council’s bid to allow homes in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) double the 5,382 square feet …
Small farm expo postponed
SURREY – Organizers of a new educational forum for small lot growers have cancelled the June event and are rescheduling for April 2018. The event promised two days of learning sessions and exhibits for the modern homesteader and while the educational program filled in quickly, organizers found exhibitors and other partners needed more lead time …
Garlic co-op pitched as supply, appetite expands
LUMBY – Hardneck garlic grows superbly in BC and is different than the softneck varieties grown in hotter climates that grocery stores traditionally carry. Not only do hardneck varieties taste great, they can also be grown here organically while giving consumers a high-quality local alternative. Speaking at the Pacific Agriculture Show this past winter, Jim …
Delta farmers in growing battle against waterfowl
The past five years have seen close to half of Metro Vancouver’s new industrial construction occur in Delta and Surrey, thanks to the South Fraser Perimeter Road opening and the availability of acreages suitable for warehouses. According to Metro Vancouver, Delta and Tsawwassen First Nation are home to14% of the region’s industrial land, up from …
Ag council welcomes BC fish farmers to table
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 …
OP ED: When producers and special interest groups collide
It’s hard to pin down when the BC Sheep Federation officially began addressing interactions between wild and domestic sheep and disease transfer between the two populations. As early as 30 years ago, BCSF was involved with sheep health in locations that contained wild sheep. In the 1980s, grazing contracts became active in the forestry cutblocks …