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Originally published:

January 2020
Vol. 106 Issue 1

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Stories In This Edition

Province signals ALR changes

Winter wonderland

Growers support piece rates

High-priced harvest heading for sweet success

Editorial: A new start

Back Forty: The service economy steps away from the land

Viewpoint: Subsistence farming is a thing of the past, isn’t it?

Cherry growers see record crop losses in 2019

Agricultural impacts from new rail trail sought

Small farmers raise concerns about CanadaGap

BC food costs set to rise

Farmers’ institutes gather for second annual meeting

Foodlands trust initiative inches forward

Sidebar: Two proponents short-listed for Sandown farm

Shifting climate brings changes to vineyard practices

Bright future

Processing plant will cut transportation costs

Date change bolsters turnout at dairy meetings

BC Holstein set pace for Canada in 2019

Trade deals remain top issue

Dairy honours Jim Thompson

BC’s largest farm show kicks off new year

Pacific Ag Show keeps up with changing times

Sidebar: Ag innovation day

Sidebar: CannaTech West back for second year

Popular dairy tour will feature lots of variety

Sidebar: Dairy Expo continues at ag show

Bison could be key to climate change resilence

Research: Clay improves degradability of dairy feed

Consumers, producers need mutual understanding

Deep learning helps root out weeds

Langley farmers see beauty in small lots

Commission offers new guide for hog production

Young farmers are making global waves

Fatal sheep diseases are largely preventable

Labour of love keeps historic farm in family

Glyphosate may be safe, but its days are numbered

Woodshed: Susan embarks on her secret rendevous

Farm Story: The farm roars headlong into winter

Jude’s Kitchen: Comforting crockpot meals keep it simple

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1 week 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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1 week 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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4 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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4 weeks ago

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Bison could be key to climate change resilience

Research into heat-adapted cattle breeds leads back to bison

January 1, 2020 byTom Walker

MERRITT – How do you design a cow for the evolving Canadian climate?

That’s the question Thompson Rivers University associate professor John Church asked the BC Bison Association in late October, noting the estimated increase in global temperatures could see cattle regularly exposed to summer heat approaching 40°C.

Countering the effects of heat stress is a growing focus for North America’s cattle industry.

“We know that cattle will feed less and that will impact their average daily gain in high heat conditions, and it will also impact conception rates,” Church says. “What they are finding in Texas is that when cattle go through a big heat wave, it damages their gut linings permanently and they have to be on feed longer to get to finished size in the feedlot.”

Church says it takes a lot for cattle to die from heat, but 5,000 cattle perished from extreme heat in California in 2017. Research is on-going into heat-tolerant traits and breeds, as well as mitigation strategies such as shading and water cooling.

“But we still have the cold,” says Church, noting that winter temperatures can hit -40°C, the exact opposite of summer’s highs.

Cattle that perform well in hot climates, such as Brahmas, have light-coloured, thin coats that wouldn’t help them in the cold. Black Angus tolerate the cold, but their coat colour absorbs the heat in summer.

“We started to look at Canadian Speckle Park cattle,” says Church. “It’s a registered Canadian-developed breed that is known for producing well-marbled meat on a variety of forage. They are naturally polled, good calvers and are considered docile.”

But most important for Church, their coats range from black with light speckling, to nearly all white. Church wondered if the white coats would make them better-adapted to heat than Black Angus.

Church’s heat stress studies used a drone-mounted infrared thermal camera to fly over cattle and measure their surface temperature. The drone flew around the animals and sampled a variety of locations on the body.

The results, he says, were “shocking.”

On a 24°C day, Church says the Speckle Park were averaging 31.2°C while the Black Angus were 36.4°C.

“When we did all the stats, it was about a seven-degree Celsius difference between the two breeds of animals,” he says.

That’s due to the albedo effect, Church explains – the phenomenon on light-coloured surface reflecting more solar radiation than a dark surface.

In addition to studying Speckle Park, Church says he is working on his own breed, which he’s dubbed “Church’s Climate Master.” He is experimenting with Senepol, a very heat-tolerant breed from the Bahamas, and crossing them with Red Angus. He’s also looking at back-crossing Japanese Akaushi cattle with the Senepol.

But what does all this mean for bison producers?

Church notes that bison are naturally adapted to North America’s climate and its changes over the millennia.

“Bison have been in North America at least six million years and they have already survived a six-degree Celsius temperature warming according to archeological records,” he says.

Church wonders if the time is right to revive beefalo breeding, the bison-cattle crosses produced in the 1960s.

“I’ve read all the studies,” says Church. “The idea was you could take cattle and bison and cross them, and the hope was you would get something that was more adapted to the climate and a little easier to handle.”

It was a good idea that flopped, Church says.

“In fact, they got the worst of both,” he says. “They got cattle that were wild as shit to handle, just as bad as bison, and they weren’t very cold-tolerant.”

His recommendation is to boost bison numbers, and see them as a genuine alternative to cattle.

“We could just eat bison and give up cattle if it gets hot,” Church says. “I am convinced they can adapt better than our cows can.”

Some will argue that beef cattle have displaced bison from their rightful place in North America, but he notes that they’ve done more than that. While some estimates put the number of bison at 60-70 million “before we shot them all,” he says there are now about 120 million cows on the continent. It would be very hard to replace that large of a meat source with bison.

“And have you ever tried to milk one?” he asks with a chuckle. “I don’t think so, and that might be a problem.”

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