Veteran farm journalist and Country Life in BC editor emeritus David Schmidt has died. Schmidt passed away unexpectedly in Chilliwack, November 20. A cause of death has not been released. Raised on a mixed farm in Chilliwack, Schmidt was the face of Country Life in BC for decades as he diligently covered producers meetings across …
Flood recovery in hand
Two years after the atmospheric rivers of November 2021 led to catastrophic flooding and landslides across southern BC, cutting off farms and communities for weeks, those hit hardest continue to be grateful for the support that helped them get back into production. A series of roundtables ultimately pegged “extraordinary” losses to agriculture – those not …
Cherry growers weigh trade complaint
BC cherry growers took a beating on price last season as cheap California and Washington fruit flooded the market. But whether or not the industry seeks an anti-dumping order is up in the air, with greater investment in domestic marketing possibly yielding greater benefits. “Prices really crashed last July,” explains BC Fruit Growers Association general …
Hazelnuts are an opportunity for Kootenay growers
ERICKSON – Hazelnut production was the focus of a field day Kootenay and Boundary Farm Advisors organized September 30 at two Creston Valley farms. Led by BC Hazelnut Growers Association president Zachary Fleming, approximately 15 participants from around the Kootenays saw both a fledgling planting barely two years old and an established farm in production …
BC FIRB gets a good egg
BC Egg Marketing Board chair Gunta Vitins has been appointed vice-chair of the BC Farm Industry Review Board, succeeding Al Sakalauskas, who succeeds her at the egg board. The two traded places November 1, with the appointments lasting for a term of two years. BC FIRB chair Peter Donkers welcomed Vitins to the board, noting …
Berrisford leads landscapers
A familiar face has taken the helm of the BC Landscape and Nursery Association, which recently celebrated its 70th anniversary with a tribute to long-time COO Hedy Dyck. Dyck died earlier this year and was succeeded by Virpi Kangas, who kept the administration side of the association humming along. Now, Coreen Rodger Berrisford, who stepped …