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MAY 2023
Vol. 109 Issue 5

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3 weeks ago

It’s been four years since the last tulip festival was held in Abbotsford, but this year’s event promises to be an even bigger spectacle than ever. Spanning 27 acres along Marion Road, Lakeland Flowers will display more than 70 varieties of the spring blossom, including fringe tulips and double tulips, the first of six months of flower festivals hosted by the farm. Writer Sandra Tretick spoke with Lakeland Flowers owner Nick Warmerdam this spring to find out how the floods on Sumas Prairie in 2021 have had an impact on his business plan as he transitions from wholesale cut flower grower to agri-tourism. We've posted the story to our website this month. It's a good read.

#CLBC #countrylifeinbc #tulipfestival
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Tulip grower makes the shift to agritourism

www.countrylifeinbc.com

ABBOTSFORD – On a bright sunny day in early April, Nick Warmerdam points out his office window at No. 4 and Marion roads to a spot about half a kilometre away across the Trans-Canada Highway.
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Omg 🥹 Jared Huston let’s go pls

4 weeks ago

Farming, like any other job.. only you punch in at age 5 and never punch out 🚜 ... See MoreSee Less

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Easton Roseboom Levi Roseboom🚜

4 weeks ago

The province is allocating $15 million to be administered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC. for a perennial crop replant program benefitting tree fruit, hazelnut, berry and grape growers. The program aims to cover 100% of plant removal costs and 75% of replanting costs. Funds are also available for sector development. The new program replaces a suite of sector-specific replant programs and recognizes the importance of sector adaptation in the face of market, disease and weather challenges. ... See MoreSee Less

The province is allocating $15 million to be administered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC. for a perennial crop replant program benefitting tree fruit, hazelnut, berry and grape growers. The program aims to cover 100% of plant removal costs and 75% of replanting costs. Funds are also available for sector development. The new program replaces a suite of sector-specific replant programs and recognizes the importance of sector adaptation in the face of market, disease and weather challenges.
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4 weeks ago

Just a week after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency officials revoked the last primary control zones established in the Fraser Valley to control last fall’s outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, a new detection on April 29 at a commercial premises in Chilliwack underscored the risk of a spring wave. This is the first new detection since January 22, also in Chilliwack, and brings to 104 the number of premises affected since the current outbreak began April 13, 2022. The disease has impacted 3.7 million birds in BC over the past year. ... See MoreSee Less

Just a week after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency officials revoked the last primary control zones established in the Fraser Valley to control last fall’s outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, a new detection on April 29 at a commercial premises in Chilliwack underscored the risk of a spring wave. This is the first new detection since January 22, also in Chilliwack, and brings to 104 the number of premises affected since the current outbreak began April 13, 2022. The disease has impacted 3.7 million birds in BC over the past year.
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Any other details for FVN and chillTV please? radiodon11@gmail.com

4 weeks ago

The province is contributing $3.2 million for upgrades to the Barrowtown pump station in Abbotsford that was overwhelmed during the November 2021 flooding on Sumas Prairie, part of a collaborative approach to flood mitigation in the region. During a press conference at the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food offices in Abbotsford today, the province said a collaborative approach that includes First Nations is needed as Abbotsford pursues a comprehensive flood mitigation strategy due to the potential impacts on Indigenous lands. Agriculture's interests will be represented by technical teams within the agriculture ministry. ... See MoreSee Less

The province is contributing $3.2 million for upgrades to the Barrowtown pump station in Abbotsford that was overwhelmed during the November 2021 flooding on Sumas Prairie, part of a collaborative approach to flood mitigation in the region. During a press conference at the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food offices in Abbotsford today, the province said a collaborative approach that includes First Nations is needed as Abbotsford pursues a comprehensive flood mitigation strategy due to the potential impacts on Indigenous lands. Agricultures interests will be represented by technical teams within the agriculture ministry.
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I sure hope part of that money is to educate the people in charge of the pumps and drainage system! They just relayed on computers and weren’t even physically monitoring the water levels. I’ve lived in the Fraser Valley my whole life and the old guys managing that system know how to do it. The new generation just sit behind computer screens and don’t physically watch the water levels. That system works very well when you do it right. The Fraser river levels are very important. The system is designed to drain the Sumas Canal (the part that runs thru the valley) into the Fraser. When they let it get backed up it put pressure on the dyke and the weak part burst. Simple science. And yes, the dykes need to be worked on too. Abbotsford has not been maintaining properly for years.

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Bird flu hits Enderby farm

April 20, 2022 byPeter Mitham

A broiler farm in the North Okanagan has been depopulated following the positive identification of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza on April 13.

Preliminary tests at a lab in Burnaby returned positive results, and samples were sent to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency lab in Winnipeg for confirmation. (BC’s own Animal Health Centre lab remains closed as a result of last November’s floods.)

“CFIA is leading the investigation and response, with provincial support for testing, mapping, surveillance and disposal,” BC Agriculture Minister Lana Popham announced on April 14. “The ministry has also activated its emergency operations centre and will work with the CFIA, producers, industry and other stakeholders to effectively respond to this outbreak and any others that may occur in BC.”

The broiler farm, north of Enderby, is the only operation to have tested positive to date and is at the epicentre of a control zone CFIA established April 16 to prevent the spread of the disease.

“All movement of domestic birds in and out of and through a PCZ is strictly controlled and requires a permit from the CFIA,” staff with the agency say. “Movement restrictions also apply to poultry products and by-products, as well as material that has come into contact with domesticated birds.”

Contravening the order is a federal offence.

The province is encouraging poultry owners, both commercial growers and small-lot owners to be vigilant. A provincial order requires commercial flocks across the province of 100 birds or more be kept indoors.

“All poultry producers, including backyard poultry owners, are advised to increase their biosecurity practices and to be vigilant and monitor for signs of avian influenza in their flocks,” says Popham.

Poultry, for the purposes of the order, include chickens, turkey, ducks and geese.

However, small-lot growers won a concession from the agriculture ministry permitting them to keep their flocks outdoors if their practices include pasture-based systems, multi-species production and on-farm slaughter. The exemption is contingent on producers following the Enhanced Biosecurity for Small-Scale Poultry Producers – Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza guide provided by the BC Small Scale Meat Producers Association.

The order runs through May 13.

To date, cases of high-path avian influenza have been identified in seven provinces and have affected approximately 700,000 birds. The only provinces free of the disease this season include Manitoba, New Brunswick and PEI.

Ray Nickel of the BC Poultry Association says the situation could easily expand, which makes it important for all poultry owners to maintain strong biosecurity protocols.

In addition to keeping flocks indoors, growers should limit farm access to essential visitors only, provide a wash station for all vehicles entering the farm, avoid public gatherings, and shower before and after completing daily barn chores.

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