Abbotsford-based crop consultant Grant McMillan, regional manager for ICMS Inc., will begin his term as president of the National Alliance of Independent Crop Consultants (NAICC) on January 28. A graduate of Dalhousie University, he joined ICMS in 2003 and became regional manager at the Abbotsford research station in 2008. McMillan also joined NAICC in 2008 …
Sumas Prairie farmers sue government
Two farms on Sumas Prairie are asking BC Supreme Court to certify a class action against the city of Abbotsford, Fraser Valley Regional District, and the province for their failure to warn property owners, residents and businesses of the flooding that inundated Sumas Prairie in November and to respond in a timely and appropriate manner. …
CanadaGAP participation drops
While retail sales channels demand more from producers, CanadaGAP statistics indicate more producers in BC are demanding less regulation. The food safety certification program debuted in 2008 and includes 3,000 participants from across North America’s fresh produce sector. The annual report for the program year ended August 31, released in advance of CanadaGAP’s annual general …
BC Tree Fruit sells another property
A diligent divestment strategy has seen BC Tree Fruits Cooperative sell close to $40 million in real estate since 2020. The latest deal saw the co-op sell its warehouse at 858 Ellis Street to Mission Group, a development company based in Kelowna, for $23.8 million. The sale was announced in mid-December, nearly eight months after …
Grape growers assess damage
Grape growers are assessing damage from a late December cold snap that hit the central and northern Okanagan Valley. “Winter temperatures in the hills surrounding Kelowna and areas to the north dipped below -27°C over the Christmas holidays,” Brad Estergaard, viticulture research technician at the Summerland Research and Development Centre told growers in a special …
‘Blue Cow’ signals happy cows
Dairy Farmers of Canada wants consumers to know that the Blue Cow logo is a sign that dairy products bearing the symbol are made from the milk of happy cows cared according to the industry’s long-standing proAction animal care initiative. “The Blue Cow is worth nothing without proAction, because everything that we do in proAction …