BC’s potato crop lagged its five-year average in 2024, according to Statistics Canada, weighing in at 1,878,000 hundredweight (cwt). Yields were largely consistent with past years at 329.5 cwt per acre but lower acreage compared to historical levels contributed to a smaller harvest. BC growers seeded 5,900 acres this past spring, down from 6,500 in …
CROPS
Shuswap watershed grants once again open
Water for agriculture is among the top priorities for the new provincial government, and the ripple effects of on-farm practices are in the spotlight as the Shuswap Watershed Council (SWC) invites another round of applications for its four-year old Water Quality Grant Program. “One of our objectives as a watershed council is to protect and …
BC Tree Fruits facility sells
BC Supreme Court approved the sale of two more properties last week as BC Tree Fruits Co-op moved closer to being wound down. The orders, dated November 27, approved the sale of the co-op’s Kelowna warehouse at 880 Vaughan Avenue to the Mark Anthony Group for $17.5 million. A smaller facility on Bottom Lake Road …
Field days give farmers the dirt on soil management
GRAND FORKS – The BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food sponsored a series of soil field days in conjunction with Kootenay Boundary Farm Advisors group in early October. “Our purpose is to help you understand the basic techniques of soil sampling and why you would do it,” says soil carbon agrologist Ahmed Lasisi, who led …
Island farmers fish for water solutions
BLACK CREEK – Water challenges are still top of mind for Vancouver Island growers despite a wet fall, and they say the province needs to make it easier to capture and store the liquid wealth for future growing seasons. While the province has committed $100 million to the Agricultural Water Infrastructure Program for on-farm water storage …
On-farm innovation fuels turnaround
CRESTON – After eight years of careful, steady growth, Nigel and Laura Francis of Cartwheel Farm near Creston were ready to take their market garden to the next level. Since 2022, they have invested significantly in state-of-the-art equipment and technology in their quest to operate fossil fuel-free and grow more food throughout the year. At …