Denman Island’s Gather Farm and Kitchen is this year’s recipient of the Mary Forstbauer Grant from the BC Association of Farmers Markets (BCAFM). The award was announced via social media on March 19, and will support owners Dennis Lightfoot and Kimberley Allan to expand their cool storage capacity. “They’ll be able to grow their winter …
Stacatto cherry patent reinstated
The stage is set for Canada to pursue damages from US growers for unlicensed production of Stacatto cherries. On March 12, the US District Court for the Eastern District of Washington reinstated patent protection for Stacatto, a late-season variety developed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and managed by Summerland Varieties Corp. (SVC). The patent …
New apple fills niche
Sunpunch, the newest release from the federal apple breeding program at the Summerland Research and Development Centre, is pure sunshine for Amarjit Lalli. “Sunpunch has got a really fantastic tropical taste,” says Lalli, who grows apples and cherries in south Kelowna. “And it looks absolutely gorgeous; the colour is a little more yellow than Ambrosia.” …
BC boosts agriculture spending
BC is budgeting a 10% boost to spending on agricultural programs and services in the coming fiscal year. The provincial budget, released March 4, earmarks $143 million for BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food operations, programs and services, up from $130 million last year. The additional funding targets the disruptive effects of extreme weather and …
Province flags drought risk
Skirmishes over trade have put negotiations for the renewal of the Columbia River Treaty on ice, but a low provincial snowpack is underscoring the ongoing need for sound water management across the province. The BC River Forecast Centre reports that the province’s snowpack was 27% below normal on March 1, heralding low freshet risk and …
Chilliwack group wants agriculture back at fairgrounds
CHILLIWACK – Agricultural groups want a halt to the long-term shift away from agriculture at Chilliwack Heritage Park, which the city promised to maintain for agricultural groups when it opened the facility in 2001. But Tourism Chilliwack has failed to honour a memorandum of understanding the city signed to that effect with the Chilliwack and …