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Originally published:

SEPTEMBER 2022
Vol. 108 Issue 9

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4 days ago

Congratulations to Travis and Brad Hopcott of Hopcott Farms for taking top honours as Canada's Outstanding Young Farmers last week in Laval, Quebec. For more, see this week's FARM NEWS UPDATE at www.countrylifeinbc.com/hopcotts-win-oyf#BCAGd#clinbcAg #CLinBC ... See MoreSee Less

Congratulations to Travis and Brad Hopcott of Hopcott Farms for taking top honours as Canadas Outstanding Young Farmers last week in Laval, Quebec. For more, see this weeks FARM NEWS UPDATE at https://www.countrylifeinbc.com/hopcotts-win-oyf-canada/

#BCAg #CLinBC
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Congratulations to all of you. You have done a tremendous job growing your business

Congratulations from Coniagas Ranches! Your business is awesome!!!

Thank you so much! 😁

Congratulations Travis!

Well done ! Well deserved

Congratulations

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6 days ago

Congratulations to Chilliwack’s Ben Janzen, former chair of the BC Milk Marketing Board, who received the BC Dairy Achievement Award from Jim Byrne of the BC Dairy Historical Society on November 23. Byrne hailed Janzen’s selfless work on behalf of the industry, first as a member of the first producer-elected board of Agrifoods International Cooperative in 1996 then as chair of the BC Milk Marketing Board for five years from 2016. "These successes have allowed the industry to increase processing capacity and develop initiatives that, when completed, will provide processing for growth for many years to come,” Byrne said. In response, Janzen expressed gratitude while emphasizing the determination and resilience of producers in the face of challenges. “You’re the ones that make this industry great,” he said.

#BCAg #CLinBC
... See MoreSee Less

Congratulations to Chilliwack’s Ben Janzen, former chair of the BC Milk Marketing Board, who received the BC Dairy Achievement Award from Jim Byrne of the BC Dairy Historical Society on November 23. Byrne hailed Janzen’s selfless work on behalf of the industry, first as a member of the first producer-elected board of Agrifoods International Cooperative in 1996 then as chair of the BC Milk Marketing Board for five years from 2016. These successes have allowed the industry to increase processing capacity and develop initiatives that, when completed, will provide processing for growth for many years to come,” Byrne said. In response, Janzen expressed gratitude while emphasizing the determination and resilience of producers in the face of challenges. “You’re the ones that make this industry great,” he said.

#BCAg #CLinBC
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I don't understand? Maybe it's my own ignorance but don't we produce way more milk than we use and force farmers to dump anything above their quota to ensure the prices stay high? Wouldn't we want to keep the retail price as low as possible while ensuring farmers receive their required compensation? Wouldn't that be worth an award? Help me understand 🤷‍♂️

Is this guy a reason why I cannot buy whole unpasteurized milk for my own personal use, yeah personal use even to make glue ...but really I don't carecwhy anyone wants whole unpasteurized milk ..it is Not my business..and nor should it be the business of bearacracy ..so in mho ppfffft

2 weeks ago

We are profoundly saddened to announce the passing of veteran farm journalist and Country Life in BC editor emeritus David Schmidt. He died suddenly in Chilliwack on November 20. For 35 years, David was the face and voice of Country Life in BC, covering producer meetings across the Fraser Valley and throughout BC. His reporting earned many national awards and he was honoured with several lifetime achievement awards, including the 2018 Scotiabank Champion of Agriculture, as he edged toward retirement at the start of the pandemic in 2020. He was, as one former ag minister eloquently put it, the "encyclopedia of BC agriculture." We will miss him terribly. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced. For more, see today's FARM NEWS UPDATE - www.countrylifeinbc.com/bc-agriculture-loses-a-champion/ ... See MoreSee Less

We are profoundly saddened to announce the passing of veteran farm journalist and Country Life in BC editor emeritus David Schmidt. He died suddenly in Chilliwack on November 20. For 35 years, David was the face and voice of Country Life in BC, covering producer meetings across the Fraser Valley and throughout BC. His reporting earned many national awards and he was honoured with several lifetime achievement awards,  including the 2018 Scotiabank Champion of Agriculture, as he edged toward retirement at the start of the pandemic in 2020. He was, as one former ag minister eloquently put it, the encyclopedia of BC agriculture. We will miss him terribly. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced. For more, see todays FARM NEWS UPDATE - https://www.countrylifeinbc.com/bc-agriculture-loses-a-champion/
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Very sad to hear of his loss…amazing dedication to Country Life.

He will be missed. His dedication to the agricullture industry was exceptional and conversattions with David were always welcomed

David was just an exceptional person . He had an unbridled passion for Agriculture. He will be so missed in this Industry. Condolences to David's family and friends.

Condolences to David's family and also his work family. He was a veteran agricultural supporter and reporter, and in his younger days attended every agricultural event he possibly could! He always had insightful views on the current agricultural state of affairs in the Fraser Valley, and also on the government programs and relief offered. He will definitely be missed in the Fraser Valley agricultural community.

David's thoughtful, careful and insightful reporting set a standard in farm reporting in BC, and much further. He will be very much missed.

Deepest Sympathy to family and friends.

Our most heartfelt condolences.

Very sad to hear this.

Sad to hear 😞

Very sorry to hear this. David was a first class journalist and an all around good human being.

Rip David.

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3 weeks ago

An agriculture plan progress report presented to Kelowna council November 6 shows a drop in the number of active farm operations in the Central Okanagan region since 2017. Six years ago, there were 1,034 actively farmed parcels; today, there are 983, according to BC Assessment data. Read more in this week's FARM NEWS UPDATE bitly.ws/ZScG ... See MoreSee Less

An agriculture plan progress report presented to Kelowna council November 6 shows a drop in the number of active farm operations in the Central Okanagan region since 2017. Six years ago, there were 1,034 actively farmed parcels; today, there are 983, according to BC Assessment data. Read more in this weeks FARM NEWS UPDATE https://bitly.ws/ZScG
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3 weeks ago

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Bert Miles remembered

Burnaby Lake Greenhouses GM wasn’t afraid to shake things up

Former ALC commissioner and IAF chair Bert Miles is being remembered for his sharp mind and business acumen as well as his dedication to family. SUBMITTED

September 1, 2022 bySandra Tretick

VANDERHOOF – Former Burnaby Lake Greenhouses general manager Bert Miles died on July 28. He was 80.

Miles, an accountant by profession, was noted as much for his ability to shake up the status quo as he was for his financial expertise and service to the agriculture community.

Born in Vancouver and raised in Langley, Miles didn’t farm himself. But in 1981, after positions at Pacific Brewers Distributor, Royal City Canning and other BC food processors, he joined Burnaby Lake Greenhouses. He worked alongside owners the van der Ende family as controller and general manager until his retirement in 2009.

During the 1980s, the company’s sales increased seven-fold and Miles’ business acumen was key in overseeing the relocation and expansion of the business to a new 2 million-square-foot production facility, the most advanced and automated at the time in North America.

Herb van der Ende, who initially hired Miles, also credits him with spearheading the development of a retirement community on their former greenhouse site in Surrey, pushing through the rezoning and helping with financing.

“Bert made it possible to do a lot of things,” says van der Ende, who has long retired from his roles as president and chairman of the board, but remains a director. “Without Bert that wouldn’t have happened. It was a big project.”

Miles made a lasting impression on van der Ende, serving as a great sounding board and becoming very close to the family through the years.

“Bert had a great overall view of the industry because his background wasn’t specifically agriculture, it was always the financial side,” he says. “He was my advisor all the years when I was in a senior position in the company and made it possible for me to do a lot of things. He was more than a business GM. I could always count on him there.”

Retirement from Burnaby Lake didn’t stop Miles, but it did give him more time to pursue other interests, including consulting and agriculture service.

Through H.A. Miles Ag Consulting, he specialized in farm business management and strategic planning. He served four years as a commissioner with the Agricultural Land Commission, chaired the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC (IAF) and the BC Horticultural Council, and served as a director of the BC Agricultural Research & Development Corp. (ARDCorp) and the Small- Scale Food Processors Association.

Fellow IAF directors Alistair Johnston and current chair Jack DeWit recall working with Miles and becoming friends.

“He was a breath of fresh air,” says Johnston, a former food manufacturer and now a consultant to the sector. “He didn’t shirk away from offering a balanced and considered opinion. I had huge respect for what he brought to the table.”

“He was definitely very passionate about agriculture,” adds DeWit. “He was very supportive of all of agriculture in BC whether small lot or the bigger farms. He knew the business and he wanted to make a difference. He was stubborn in his own way. If he believed in something he pushed it.”

Miles spent 12 years on the IAF board, originally representing the post-farmgate sector and returning after a five-year hiatus to represent the greenhouse, floriculture and nursery sectors.

His commitment to community service extended beyond agriculture. Miles chaired Surrey Metro Savings Credit Union and the Certified Management Accountants Society of BC. He also served as a director of Credit Union Central of BC.

Miles was predeceased by his first wife Pauline in 2011, following 46 years of marriage. He is survived by his two sons, Bradford (Pat) and David (Raquel), four grandchildren and his second wife, Bette Jean Crews, whom he married in 2018.

David Miles described his father as “a pretty amazing person.”

“[He wasn’t] just a great dad and awesome grandfather dedicated to family and friends but also an important thread in the fabric of the community and organizations where he served,” he says.

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