CRESTON – British Columbia is one of Canada’s largest producers of garlic, a crop that is well suited to smaller farms since it does not require a great deal of land to support a profitable business. Thistle Farm in Creston is an example of what can be achieved on just four acres with this much-in …
CROPS
Apple soda breaks ground in saturated market
KELOWNA – At 28, Avi Gill recognizes the need to do things differently to keep his family’s 26-year tradition of growing Okanagan apples and cherries profitable. While production improvements are on-going and have helped increase the crops’ value, Gill has turned his attention to adding value to apples, which continue to face price challenges. Born …
Ice wine intentions rise
An inflow of Arctic air pushed temperatures in Kelowna towards levels needed for ice wine this week, just as the deadline for producers to register their intention to make the sweet beverage approached. Temperatures approached -7° Celsius as midnight approached on November 7, a degree away from the -8° C that frozen grapes must reach …
Peace producers engage in on-farm research
DAWSON CREEK – The Peace Region is conducting climate change adaptation research, thanks to federal funding. The area received nearly $6 million in funding through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Agricultural Climate Solutions – Living Lab program to develop best management practices that solve climate change challenges. “I find the Peace Region is often forgotten about …
Dry fall, wet winter ahead
A long, dry fall may be just what many growers caught out by the late spring wanted, but the warm, sunny weather prompted provincial authorities to raise the drought rating in many parts of the province to the highest level last week. The Lower Mainland, Sunshine Coast and Western Vancouver Island are all now at …
Average crop for BC cranberries
BC’s cranberry harvest kicked off September 23 with Lower Mainland growers harvesting the first of this year’s crop. “Harvest is on target with quality and quantity,” says Kalpna Solanki, chair of the BC Cranberry Marketing Commission. The commission reports that a cool, wet spring delayed this year’s harvest by more than a week. The harvest …