Agriculture has been touted as a potential driver of BC’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission, Tourism Kelowna and Accelerate Okanagan are counting on it being so. Agriculture is one of the sectors targeted by OKGo, a new marketing campaign the three organizations launched January 21. OKGo tells stories of …
NEWS
Provincial quarantine program working
Seasonal workers and farm businesses continue to benefit from the province’s publicly funded quarantine program, which covers the cost of meals and accommodations for incoming foreign workers during their mandatory self-isolation period. The program remains in place despite a federal requirement since January 7 for all international arrivals to test negative for COVID-19 prior to …
Seedy Sunday goes seedless
Vancouver Island Health Authority has told a local Seedy Sunday event to go seedless this year. While the Coombs Farmers Institute has an approved COVID-19 management plan for the March 28 event, organizers have been told by the Vancouver Island Health Authority’s environmental health officer that seeds aren’t allowed at Seedy Sunday. While bedding plants …
Warm winter stalls icewine
Despite an early frost at the end of October, the winter’s warm weather has shrivelled the hopes of icewine makers. Just one winery of the 12 wineries that registered an intention with the BC Wine Authority to pick grapes for icewine this year has followed through. According to the BC Wine Institute, Bench 1775 picked …
CP Rail’s plans for extension cause concern
Pitt Meadows could lose more than 100 acres of farmland if CP Rail gets the greenlight to expand its operations in the community. Plans for the CP Logistics Park [cplogisticspark.ca] were unveiled in December following consultations with the municipality, Katzie First Nation and Vancouver Fraser Port Authority last summer. A public consultation on the project …
New executive director for Small-Scale Meat Producers
Three years after its formation, the Small-Scale Meat Producers Association has hired an executive director to coordinate advocacy on behalf of members. Ava Reeve, a veteran of small-scale agricultural organizations, has been hired for the role with the assistance of funding from the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC. Reeve also serves as executive director with …