COVID continues to complicate efforts to manage supply of regulated commodities in Canada. “It’s still not easy because there’s a lot of different metrics at play,” Abbotsford producer Ray Nickel told the BC Chicken Growers Association general meeting August 4, delivering the report from the Chicken Farmers of Canada. “We haven’t seen a full opening …
NEWS
Forging new successes with the family farm
WINDERMERE – Taking on the business of your parents isn’t for everyone, but for Winderberry Nursery and Edible Acres Farm, Cafe and Catering co-owners Lin Egan and Anna Steedman, it was the perfect fit. “I love growing things – I love growing flowers and I love growing food,” says Egan. “It’s exciting and also stressful …
Flower farm meets growing demand
ENDERBY – Operating a flower farm is a dream come true for Nadine Charlton, even if it’s not all sunshine and roses. Charlton began Blumen Fields Flower Farm on Mabel Lake Road, six minutes east of Enderby, in 2018, one year after purchasing the 54-acre property with husband Chris and her parents. The farm fulfills …
Provincial meat licensing overhaul effective October
MERRITT – The province has formally announced details of the new three-tier licensing structure for meat processors promised earlier this year. The four existing classes of licences will be streamlined, with on-farm slaughter allowed across the province. Provincially inspected A and B licensees will be consolidated in a new Abattoir class, with no restrictions on …
Record temps kill poultry
SURREY – Three days of record-setting temperatures at the end of June made for sweat-soaked chores for many farmers, but cattle and poultry producers also faced the challenge of keeping their animals cool, too. Poultry producers were especially vulnerable, as birds don’t sweat, meaning they can’t cool down. Broiler producers in the Fraser Valley lost …
Fruit growers face hard choices
Crop insurance adjusters are now dealing with “well over 1,000” notices of loss following the late June heat wave, and tree fruit growers face tough decisions come harvest regarding which fruit gets shipped. To prepare them for the choices and the financial relief available to them, the BC Fruit Growers Association and BC Cherry Association …