A massive expansion of BC’s milk processing capacity received an infusion of $25 million from the province this week. Premier David Eby and Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation Minister Brenda Bailey announced the funding April 23 at Vitalus Nutrition Inc. in Abbotsford. The funding is provided as part of the province’s blueprint for clean industrial …
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Province to oversee livestock welfare
The province is poised to assume responsibility for farmed animal welfare in BC, establishing a new division within the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food to take over from the BC Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Policing of animal welfare, including that of farmed animals, has been the statutory responsibility of the …
Awards generate buzz for BC beekeepers
CRESTON – The year is off to a roaring start for Kootenay beekeepers Amanda Goodman Lee and Jeff Lee. Facing stiff competition at the prestigious American Beekeeping Federation’s (APF’s) 2024 American Honey Show in New Orleans in January, their honey took home top prize in several categories including Best of Show. A week earlier, one …
New abattoir offers lifeline to local farmers
COURTENAY – After nearly five years in the making, Christine Mooney is excited to be finally putting the finishing touches on her federally inspected poultry abattoir, thanks to her perseverance and Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC’s Small Food Processor Scale-Up grant. In fall 2023, Mooney was making the best of her small space and Farmgate …
Land Act firestorm
The BC government is proposing changes to the Land Act that will affect how Crown land tenures are administered, but they have provided very little information on what those amendments will look like and that has cattlemen extremely concerned. In early January, the BC Ministry of Water Land and Resource Stewardship (WLRS) began contacting stakeholders …
Non-foaming milk continues
The foamability of milk is once more in the spotlight, and the BC Milk Marketing Board is now giving producers information that can help them anticipate potential issues. “We now have enough research and data gathered to know that milk that has free fatty acids greater than 1.2 mmol/100g butterfat will not foam,” the board …