Two leaders of a high-profile farm invasion in April 2019 have been convicted on charges of break-and-enter and mischief. Amy Soranno and Nick Schafer opted for trial by jury in the hope of better pleading their case and shining a light on farming practices in the province. But after a short trial, the jury ended …
Weather heightens wildfire risk
A cool, wet spring has put a damper on this year’s wildfire season, but the north of the province isn’t out of the woods yet. The province recorded 217 wildfires between April 1 and July 4, or about half the historical average for the period. The area burned is less than a tenth of the …
PremisesID now mandatory
No ID, no help: that’s the message from the province with the passing of the deadline for farmers and ranchers to register for PremisesID, which became mandatory July 1. The province reports that 7,000 premises, or 86% of livestock premises, now have an identification code. When the province announced mandatory registration in February 2021, it …
Drought fears washed away
A year after a historic heat dome sent temperatures soaring, all of BC is at drought level 0 on the province’s six-level drought scale. An abundance of moisture and cool temperatures this year has made it a washout for drought. A year ago, six basins were already at drought level 3 and the Salmon River …
Farm status requires proof
Two years after the province cut farmers some slack when it came to proving their qualification for farm class status with BC Assessment, proof is once again required. “We have currently returned to [the] standard practice of mailouts/income requests to property owners as per regulations to maintain/qualify for farm class for the 2023 roll,” BC Assessment …
Guaranteed returns for apples
More revenue for more growers is how BC Tree Fruits Cooperative is framing the launch of a three-year program that will guarantee growers a minimum return on their apples. “The Cooperative is expanding on a program launched in 2020 by providing minimum payment guarantees to growers on a wide range of varieties, grades, and sizes …