The landscape and nursery sector has a new specialist at the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food. Metro Vancouver regional agrologist Drew Bondar has taken over the role, formerly held by Karina Sakalauskas, who was appointed specialist for field vegetables and potatoes last fall. “We are pleased that Drew put his hand up to step …
CROPS
SFU berry research moves forward
A team led by Simon Fraser University plant genomics researcher Jim Mattsson is taking its research on greenhouse grown berries to the next level with a $5 million grant from the Weston Family Foundation. The grant will support the scaling up of a production system fine-tuned during a previous phase of the Homegrown Innovation Challenge, …
Apple growers vote on marketing commission
BC apple growers will soon vote whether or not to establish an apple marketing commission, following a public consultation this spring led by Inner Harbour Consulting Inc. “A recent survey of apple producers, conducted from March 15 to April 4, 2025, indicated support for such a commission,” a May 28 memo to growers from Inner …
Industry champion named BC’s best grape grower
KELOWNA – Colleen Ingram’s enthusiasm for collaboration within the BC wine industry is so great that when she was named 2024 Grower of the Year by the BC Grapegrowers Association, she wanted to share it with the industry. “Given the devastation we have had over the last three years, I feel like this award should …
Algoma comes to BC
Canada’s largest independent apple grower is moving into BC following the purchase of the last remaining assets of BC Tree Fruits Co-op to Penticton construction and development company Wildstone Construction Group. Wildstone paid $22.75 million for BC Tree Fruits’ newly renovated packinghouse in Oliver, as well as receiving stations in Summerland and Keremeos in a …
Driediger Farms for sale
Well-known Langley berry grower Driediger Farms is for sale. “I’ve been looking at different options for selling for the past couple of years. But I just decided this is the time,” says owner Rhonda Driediger. “I have some other projects I want to do and I can’t really do them and live where I want …