LADYSMITH – Elk continue to damage farm infrastructure and government compensation is not enough, producers say. They want long-term solutions that balance land and species protection. “The grass that should be starting to grow, getting ready for crops come June, is chewed right down to half an inch on the ground. So, they’ve devoured all …
CROPS
New rules for pesticide applications
KELOWNA – New regulations under the federal Pest Control Products Act now restrict the practice of tank-mixing to only products that are labelled specifically for mixing. “Under the old regulations, products could be tank-mixed if they were both labelled as registered to be used on a crop and did not specify otherwise,” provincial pesticide specialist …
Kale acreage on fast track
DELTA – Kale was the fastest-growing vegetable in BC by acreage in 2022, according to Statistics Canada data that shows field vegetable acreage in the province is on the decline. BC growers tended 13,146 acres of vegetables in 2022, according to Statscan’s annual report on fruit and vegetable acreage, released February 16 (potatoes and greenhouse …
Filling a market for fresh corn in Chase
CHASE – Who hasn’t tucked into a cob of sweet, juicy corn during a warm summer harvest? It was even better if you could buy it at a roadside stand, freshly picked and direct from the farmer. Many such memories began in the Village of Chase, on the shores of Little Shuswap Lake in the …
Weather-driven fruit shortfalls
New tools are helping growers anticipate and assess the impact of weather on their plants, but the truth of how resilient they’ve been in the face of extreme weather events is often not known until harvest. Data for 2022 released February 16 by Statistics Canada indicates that several fruit crops saw lower production last year, …
Greenhouse extends growing season, sales
WYCLIFFE – When imported produce is in short supply at the grocery store and fresh produce becomes a winter luxury, it’s heartening to know dedicated farmers are producing good food locally through the season. Apple Quill Farm in Wycliffe, a small community between Cranbrook and Kimberley, is one of the most prolific small-scale winter producers …