COURTENAY – First generation farmers Matt and Selena Lawrence knew they wanted an acreage and to raise their family on a farm, but securing land and water for a large-scale operation in the Comox Valley was not in the cards. However, after creating a viable farm business model, the couple were able to secure a …
Oat, wheat harvests down
Statistics Canada has relied on satellite technology and agroclimatic data to model preliminary crop yields and production for several years, and estimates released August 29 point to a modest decline in seeded acres this year for grain and oilseed crops but a sharp decline in the projected harvest for certain crops. Overall, seeded acres are …
Creston farmland sees demand
Strong commodity prices have been fuelling demand for farmland across Western Canada. The activity is fuelling hopes for a 331-acre parcel in the Creston Valley, part of the Piper Farms Ltd. and Christensen Bros. Farms Ltd. portfolio brought to market last summer by Colliers. The owners listed 12 parcels on the west side of the …
International exports climb
Rising exports of BC agri-food products are set for a further boost with the launch of the new BC Agriculture and Food Export Program. BC Statistics reports that exports of agriculture and food products other than fish totalled $4.6 billion last year, a 24% increase from 2021. The gains were broad-based, with the largest gain …
Watchdog calls for overhaul of fire management
VICTORIA – On June 29, the province’s independent watchdog for forest and range practices released a report citing urgent action as 45% of public land is at high or extreme threat of wildfire. “Fire prevention and suppression policies over the past century have led to a buildup of fuel in our forests and have contributed …
Wildfires rip through Southern Interior
The impact of a dramatic turn in the provincial wildfire situation last week is still being calculated as the smoke clears in the Okanagan. Dramatic footage from the McDougall Creek wildfire in West Kelowna focused on the impacts to residential and recreational properties, but the smoke plume hit orchards as well as vineyards, where veraison …