The South Island Farmers Institute (SIFI) kicked off 2025 with the second edition of the revived Farmer to Farmer event, January 20-24. A combination of field days and workshops brought together farmers and growers for knowledge-sharing, capacity-building and networking. “The South Island Farmers Institute represents a dynamic group of growers and producers. We are committed …
CROPS
Alberni growers face cutworm
A mild winter has provided favourable conditions for a surge in winter cutworm (Noctua pronuba) populations on central Vancouver Island. Alberni Clayoquot Regional District sustainability planner Amy Needham says populations are approaching outbreak levels in areas such as the Alberni Valley, though the exact cause is unknown. The appearance of the worm, the larval form …
Kamloops reports Japanese beetle
An integrated response to a Japanese beetle infestation in BC has won a key battle but the war continues. The invasive pest, native to Japan and first identified in Canada in 1939, is an increasing problem for Ontario tender fruit growers. Regular monitoring discovered it in a park overlooking False Creek in downtown Vancouver in …
Growers Supply property sold
Shukin Orchards Ltd. of Creston is the successful bidder for the Growers Supply Co. property at 754 35th Avenue South in Erickson. Court documents filed December 30 by Alvarez & Marsal, the court-appointed monitor of proceedings related to the winding down of BC Tree Fruits Co-op, indicate Shukin bid $1.9 million for the property, which …
Pickers’ piece rates increase
A new year brings new rates for produce pickers in B.C. While most workers who harvest crops by hand receive more than the minimum wage, the annual adjustment to rates establishes a baseline for workers and indicates the rate of upward pressure employers face when it comes to wages. On December 31, the province mandated …
BC Fruit Growers list test orchard
The historic test orchard launched by the BC Fruit Growers Association in 1981 has hit the market. The 87-acre property, listed with Marnie Perrier of Sotheby’s International Realty Canada, includes 20 acres of orchard, 18 acres of fallow land planted to rye and seven acres of flat land suitable for development with a “world class …