METCHOSIN – A black bear has been killing sheep in the Metchosin area on Vancouver Island since July and unlike previous occasions, the BC Conservation Officer Service (COS) is stepping back and asking farmers to step up prevention efforts. Twenty-one sheep from various farms have been killed to date. Ten of the bear kills were …
NEWS
SAWP requirements waived
With the scramble for harvest labour continuing across BC, many growers are looking ahead to what the next season holds. To address the issues associated with labour, Ottawa is now accepting applications from employers for seasonal workers required in 2021. The minimum recruitment requirements for several occupations have been waived to improve employers’ access to …
Cool as cucumbers
Rising grocery prices have made headlines across the country this summer as businesses seek to recover costs related to COVID-19. Between higher labour costs, additional expenses such as personal protective equipment and COVID-19 surcharges, consumers are paying more for food. But statistics Canada data for the first six months of year show that celery and …
BC beekeepers go online
BC beekeepers have made a beeline for online meetings as COVID-19 has limited the size of public gatherings. At the provincial level, the semi-annual meeting of the BC Honey Producers Association in March took place via videoconference while its semi-annual education day was cancelled. Its monthly business meetings have since taken place via videoconference. The …
PAS goes online
BC’s biggest agriculture show is going online in 2021. Scheduled to take place January 28-30 at Tradex in Abbotsford, the Pacific Agriculture Show will adopt a virtual format in 2021 with plans for the 2022 event to return to Tradex, says show manager Jim Shepard. “We’ll be pivoting and producing a world-class virtual show,” he …
Hornet catch has beekeepers vigilant
Washington State Department of Agriculture staff announced this week that an Asian giant hornet was caught in a trap south of Blaine on July 29, but BC has yet to collect any of the insects. That’s good news for BC, says provincial apiculture specialist, Paul van Westendorp. “Our friends in Washington have installed hundreds of …