MARA – It’s a feat to grow outstanding vegetables, but without proper storage all that goodness can be lost. In 28 years of farming, Hermann Bruns and wife Louise, owners of Mara-based Wild Flight Farm, have learned a thing or two about how to keep produce in the kind of condition that delivers profits to …
CROPS
No extension for groundwater
Owners of existing non-domestic wells shouldn’t count on any further extensions of the province’s deadline for registering their wells and applying for a groundwater licence free of charge. “It is unlikely to change at this point,” said Maria Nguyen, a senior authorizations technician with FrontCounter BC, in a presentation at the Pacific Agriculture Show on …
Genomics lab expands service to local growers
SURREY – The expansion of a life sciences lab at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Surrey this spring will deliver a boost to cutting-edge agricultural research in the Fraser Valley. KPU’s existing Applied Genomics Centre offers 750 square feet of space for various research projects focused on genetics, including a hops development program. “One thing we …
Greenhouse sets example for others to follow
SALMO – It’s -8°C and snowing in the central Kootenay town of Salmo, but inside the greenhouse at Salix and Sedge Farm, lettuce and arugula are growing in the soil. “It’s not really growing, it’s more like being in a refrigerator,” clarifies Brendan Parsons who with his partner Cali Olleck owns the farm. “The low …
Sidney plant lab takes shape
While governments around the world take steps to rein in the COVID-19 pandemic, work continues to ensure plants in Canada remain free of disease. Design and construction contracts have been awarded for the new Centre for Plant health in Sidney, which is currently set to open in 2024. Construction is set to begin later this …
Warm winter stalls icewine
Despite an early frost at the end of October, the winter’s warm weather has shrivelled the hopes of icewine makers. Just one winery of the 12 wineries that registered an intention with the BC Wine Authority to pick grapes for icewine this year has followed through. According to the BC Wine Institute, Bench 1775 picked …