ABBOTSFORD – In the days before an atmospheric river struck the Fraser Valley last December, dairy farmer Matt Dykshoorn was already on the move. Following a previous flood in 2021, Dykshoorn had protocols in place to protect his stock and equipment. Young cattle were moved from the lower barn, and equipment was relocated to a …
Quesnel farm grows one venture at a time
QUESNEL – The challenging state of BC’s forestry industry over two decades ago led to an unexpected opportunity for two professional foresters living in BC’s northern Interior. Ted Traer and his wife Heloise Dixon-Warren were career foresters – Traer worked with the BC Ministry of Forests while Dixon-Warren was a consultant in the private sector. …
Two new berries for BC
BC’s grower-owned berry breeding program is bearing fruit, with two new berries coming to market. AbbyRaz Celebration, a firm, locally adapted raspberry, was officially introduced to growers last week at the Raspberry Industry Development Council (RIDC)’s golf tournament and banquet in Chilliwack on May 21. Growers had eagerly watched progress of the selection, officially known …
BC Cattlemen’s urges water storage
The BC Cattlemen’s Association is demanding the province maintain water storage as drought concerns mount across the southern Interior. “We are calling on conservation groups, First Nations and local governments to join us in urging the province to immediately halt any planned decommissioning of water‑storage infrastructure,” the association said in a May 25 statement. “Agriculture …
“Organic” definition sought
“What is organic production and marketing?” That’s a question the BC Vegetable Marketing Commission hopes to answer this year as it works to improve its services to the province’s vegetable sector in the wake of a new general order. “We need to get a handle on what that is,” BC Veg general manager Andre Solymosi …
Storage crop levy approved
The BC Potato and Vegetable Growers Association is getting a funding boost this year with official approval of a new levy by the BC Vegetable Marketing Commission (BC Veg). The levy, proposed last year, figured into the annual budget presented to association members at their annual meeting in Tsawwassen on February 25. “We’re trying to …