HUDSON’S HOPE – BC farmers and ranchers continue to grapple with meat processing challenges in the province. Despite government efforts to amend licensing and financial supports, livestock and poultry producers struggle to get their meat products to market. The issue is particularly acute in remote areas of the province. While many can have small-scale plants, …
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Farmers step up in emergency operations
ABBOTSFORD – First-generation poultry farmers Krista Harris and Cathy Van-Martin ask fellow egg producers many questions about production and welfare to ensure they have their chickens in a row. They take time to make business decisions with their business partners Barry and Jessica Kragh. But in addition to managing B Jack Farms, an organic free-range …
BC SPCA seizes cattle
Beef cattle removed from a property near Shawnigan Lake on Vancouver Island last week by the BC SPCA rescued them from some of the worst conditions regional manager Kaley Pugh has ever seen. But an investigation is ongoing into the animal’s care and whether or not criminal charges against the owner are warranted. BC SPCA …
Spallumcheen plans agri-industrial zone
Spallumcheen wants to hear how 106 acres of protected agricultural land can serve producers if converted to industrial use. Three parcels in the South Spallumcheen industrial area are the focus of the study. All are located within the Agricultural Land Reserve. They’re also adjacent to highways 97 and 97A, making them attractive to industrial users. …
McMillan leads crop consultants
Abbotsford-based crop consultant Grant McMillan, regional manager for ICMS Inc., will begin his term as president of the National Alliance of Independent Crop Consultants (NAICC) on January 28. A graduate of Dalhousie University, he joined ICMS in 2003 and became regional manager at the Abbotsford research station in 2008. McMillan also joined NAICC in 2008 …
Sumas Prairie farmers sue government
Two farms on Sumas Prairie are asking BC Supreme Court to certify a class action against the city of Abbotsford, Fraser Valley Regional District, and the province for their failure to warn property owners, residents and businesses of the flooding that inundated Sumas Prairie in November and to respond in a timely and appropriate manner. …