December is a month when giving is on people’s minds, and corporate generosity makes headlines. This year is no different, though the challenges the supply chain faced during the COVID-19 pandemic made giving the gift of good food an alternative to for-profit sales for many organizations. Good news sells in hard times, and farmers and …
COUNTRY WAYS
New food hub planned for Salmon Arm
SALMON ARM – A food hub in Salmon Arm will provide much-needed processing opportunities to producers in the Shuswap-Okanagan. In mid-September, the BC Ministry of Agriculture announced $500,000 toward the creation of a food hub in the community. “The province’s processing sector is seeing success all over BC and we are supporting farmers and food …
Kamloops farmers push back on irrigation plan
KAMLOOPS – A group of irrigation water users in Kamloops received a reprieve on a city plan to undertake a $14 million system upgrade that would leave users on the hook for the bulk of that cost. Representatives of the Noble Creek Irrigation System petitioned Kamloops city council November 3 to cancel the local area …
Province rethinks land matching pitch
VICTORIA – To increase landowner participation in the BC Land Matching Program administered by Young Agrarians, the BC Ministry of Agriculture is drawing on behavioural insights to nudge landowners into leasing their unused farmland to new farmers. Behavioural scientist Christine Kormos presented details and results of the project at the BIG Difference BC online conference …
Universal broadband fund cheers farmers
The recent announcement of an additional $750 million for the universal broadband fund by the federal government is pleasing farmers. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau officially launched the Universal Broadband Fund on November 9, which was originally announced in the 2019 federal budget. The fund, now worth $1.75 billion, aims to provide high-speed Internet access to …
Seed suppliers seeing sustained demand as 2021 orders begin
LANGLEY – Onset of the COVID-19 pandemic saw seed orders by home gardeners surge, so much so that some seed companies delayed shipments until orders from commercial growers were filled. Between April 1 to August 31, the BC Eco Seed Co-op saw an 847% increase in sales over the same period in 2019. About 350 …