Nine projects received awards in December from the BC Hydro Peace Agricultural Compensation Fund. UBC’s Faculty of Land and Food Systems received the largest award, $65,470, in support of research on crop disease and pathogens affecting cereal crops in the Peace region. “The project will fill gaps in existing disease surveys of cereal and forage …
NEWS
New year, new era
BURNABY – A new administration in the US this month is raising hopes for fewer trade hassles in the months ahead. “I expect more predictability and more following the rules,” federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau told farm media last month regarding the new US administration. She had previously announced that Canada would not make additional …
Let’s get real about mental wellness on the farm
Nearly a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, the agriculture industry continues to demonstrate resilience and reliability. It’s on my 2021 agenda to continue to talk about this achievement publicly to continue to educate those outside agriculture, but I’m also marking the beginning of a new year celebrating the growing normalization of talking openly about mental …
Grower takes issue with groundwater limits
OLIVER – When Hans Buchler and his wife bought the land for their 18 acres of vineyard almost 40 years ago, one of the attractions was the water. “There is a good well on the property, which was important,” he says. “When I talked to the district of Oliver, they told me it would be …
Leasing farmland a vital strategy for farmers
METCHOSIN – While the province has been keen to support land-matching to help new farmers launch their operations, leasing farmland is a long-standing practice in BC that’s been vital to many farm businesses. Recent research by the provincial government’s Behavioural Insights Group underlined the importance of land leases to agriculture, stating that it’s commonplace for …
Kelowna school embraces new container farm
KELOWNA – The newest container farm in BC is at Kelowna’s KLO Middle School. Since mid-November, a 40-foot shipping container just outside the school’s front doors has produced lettuce, kale and bok choy. The next crop will include basil, thyme and oregano. “Right now, we’re only growing about one-sixth capacity but the farm could produce …