Seventeen candidates have stepped forward to produce organic milk in BC as part of the BC Milk Marketing Board’s expansion of its New Entrant Program (NEP) to organic producers. Unlike the regular NEP, a draw was not held to establish a short list of candidates. All applicants who submitted a completed application by the February …
Weather-driven fruit shortfalls
New tools are helping growers anticipate and assess the impact of weather on their plants, but the truth of how resilient they’ve been in the face of extreme weather events is often not known until harvest. Data for 2022 released February 16 by Statistics Canada indicates that several fruit crops saw lower production last year, …
Avian influenza threat looms
The latest date for a case of avian influenza during a winter outbreak in BC is February 19, chicken producers were told at their latest general meeting last month. With that date fast approaching, the lack of cases since January 22 has been good news for poultry growers. But that’s no reason to relax, Woody …
BC snowpack declines
Despite the grey and rainy days of BC in the wintertime, the snowpack on mountain ranges throughout the province checked in below average on February 1. The latest snow survey and water supply bulletin from the province, released February 8, reports that the snowpack is 21% below normal provincewide. Just three basins – the Lower …
National celebration of agriculture
A national initiative designed to celebrate Canada’s food producers marks its seventh year today. Canada’s Agriculture Day, February 15, was initiated in 2017 by the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity, which also leads the online forum Agriculture More Than Ever. Designed to celebrate Canadian agriculture, food and everyone who works in the industry, the national …
Farmers need to prioritize mental wellness
ABBOTSFORD – When it comes to mental wellness, the fierce independence and stoicism too common in farmers can be problematic. “I heard from a poultry producer yesterday,” says Wendy Bennett, executive director of AgSafe BC. “She said, ‘My husband needs the support, but he won’t ask for it. So, when I call, and it’s peer …