INVERMERE – Farmers and ranchers in the Columbia Valley will continue to see rewards for taking action to conserve and enhance important riparian areas on their farms. The Windermere District Farmers Institute (WDFI) was one of nine groups named in January to receive a share of $133,600 this year through the Columbia Valley Local Conservation …
The perfect solution for farmers on the go
NORTH SAANICH – Out in the fields of the Sandown Centre for Regenerative Agriculture in North Saanich, something innovative is happening. If you drive by the 83-acre site on Glamorgan Road, once home to the Sandown Racetrack, you’d be hard-pressed to see anything out of the ordinary. Sure, there are two new 10-foot shipping containers …
ALR opened for agritech
Vertical farms that grow crops in stacked trays rather than fields will soon be able to set up in the Agricultural Land Reserve without having to seek permission from the province. “We are making changes to support agritech and intensive crop production, like vertical farming, on the Agricultural Land Reserve,” BC agriculture minister Lana Popham …
Budget boost for agriculture
This week’s budget delivered a big boost to the BC Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries. An extra $8 million was allocated to the ministry, an 8% increase from a year ago. The ministry budget now exceeds $107 million. The increase benefits two key areas, with the largest tranche of additional funding supporting the large …
Ottawa funds beneficial practices
Beneficial management practices were the big winner in the week’s funding announcements by government. The same day as Victoria announced $15 million over three years to assist farmers embrace green agriculture practices, Ottawa announced a grant of $8 million through the $200-million On-Farm Climate Action Fund, part of the larger Agricultural Climate Solutions initiative. The …
CanadaGAP expands options
Many small fruit and vegetable producers say CanadaGAP requirements are complex and onerous. While the major grocers require that suppliers participate in the national food safety certification program, many growers are opting out. Program participation fell for the first time since inception last year, with BC – home to the largest proportion of CanadaGAP participants …