BC’s apple harvest is in full swing, and early estimates indicate a slightly smaller crop but high-quality fruit. Overall production is expected to be down about 10% this year, thanks in part to a 5% decline in acreage as well as weather. The growing season in the Interior started about two weeks later than usual …
CROPS
Crop failure wins wineries concessions
With this year’s wine grape harvest set to be as much as 50% below normal, industry advocacy group Wine Growers BC is toasting recent measures by the province to support hard-hit wine producers. WGBC says the “well-documented ‘crop failure’” the industry is suffering this year as a result of an extreme cold snap last December …
Moon shines among BC grape growers
PENTICTON — The BC Grapegrowers Association’s fifth annual Viticulturist of the Year award has gone to an industry veteran from a commercial winery. “The Viticulturist of the Year award recognizes those in our industry who strive to grow the very best grapes,” BCGA president John Bayley says. “Vineyard management, environmental stewardship, equipment, human resources, peer …
Lake Country packing house sold
BC Tree Fruit Co-op has sold its Lake Country packing house as part of its long-term plan to consolidate operations. The sale, to an undisclosed buyer, closed on August 31, 2023 for $15.8 million. “This was a planned sale as part of the cooperative’s consolidation plan that began in August of 2022,” says Laurel Van …
Corn rootworm hits Okanagan
A pest that infested Fraser Valley corn fields in 2017 has made an appearance in the North Okanagan. The BC Dairy Association recently alerted members to the discovery of Western corn rootworm on farms in Armstrong, Enderby and Salmon Arm by a seed industry representative in August. The province is following up to determine the …
Island couple future-proof new farm operation
COURTENAY – First generation farmers Matt and Selena Lawrence knew they wanted an acreage and to raise their family on a farm, but securing land and water for a large-scale operation in the Comox Valley was not in the cards. However, after creating a viable farm business model, the couple were able to secure a …