COOMBS – A year ago, Lori Gillis was sounding the alarm about the coming wave of retirements that threatened to drastically reduce meat processing capacity on Vancouver Island. She was 66, and had nearly 23 years’ experience under her belt. “All the butchers – red and poultry – we’re all in the same sort of …
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Top vet appointed
BC has a new top vet. Dr. Rayna Gunvaldsen was appointed chief veterinarian on July 10, succeeding Dr. Jane Pritchard, who had served as top vet since 2013. A graduate of the University of Saskatchewan, Gunvaldsen specialized in herd health and regulatory medicine. Her studies also included specializations in large animal clinical sciences and swine …
Dairy selects new entrants
Three candidates have been selected to participate in the BC Milk Marketing Board’s new entrant program. The program’s selection committee interviewed a shortlist of seven candidates and chose Katie and Kelvin Lagemaat, Breanna & Jarrod Simpson and Marlayna Van Hoepen. The three have received invitations to establish themselves as producers and must formally accept the …
Ranchers troubled by inconsistencies in well licensing
BEAVERDELL – An analysis of nearly 500 groundwater licences the province has issued under the Water Sustainability Act reveals sharp inconsistencies in what’s being required of owners. Sandra Ryan and partner Bill Di Pasquale are small-scale forage producers in Beaverdell. They registered their well and this past March received a conditional groundwater licence for a …
Province expands slaughter licences
PORT ALBERNI – The BC Ministry of Agriculture has announced the opening of three new regions for class D on-farm slaughter licences. Farmers within the Regional District of Alberni-Clayoquot, as well as electoral area D in Central Kootenay and electoral area H in Fraser-Fort George Regional District, will now be eligible to apply for class …
Small on-farm dairy processors raise concerns about systemic inequities
KAMLOOPS – Two small dairies are hoping there’s room in supply management for an alternative way of doing business that will keep on-farm processors viable into the future. Laura Hunter of Blackwell Dairy in Kamloops and Erin Harris of Kootenay Meadows Farm in the Creston Valley reached out on Facebook recently seeking support for ideas …