US guardians of plant health have placed restrictions on imports of greenhouse vegetables in an effort to combat tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV). The virus is a growing scourge of greenhouse vegetable producers, and a recognized threat in BC. The restrictions, announced November 22, apply to shipments from Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands and Israel. …
NEWS
Satellite surveillance on hold
A controversial plan to use satellites to monitor activities in the Agricultural Land Reserve has been put on hold pending consultation with landowners. A notice of intent to contract with Richmond-based MDA Systems Ltd., which the BC Ministry of Agriculture posted to BC Bid, the government’s procurement site, on November 13, disappeared November 18. The …
COABC seeks new ED
Jen Gamble is leaving her role as executive director of the Certified Organic Associations of BC at the end of February after nine years in the role. “Under her leadership we have become more professional in how we grow, how we certify, how we accredit, and how we trade our organic commodities,” says COABC co-chair …
Kelowna water rates proposed
The new year will see more than 500 agriculture utility customers in the South East Kelowna Irrigation District incorporated within Kelowna’s domestic water system. The shift will change how growers pay for irrigation water. “The agriculture water rate structure being proposed is a blend of a fixed-fee and escalating tiers that would be predictable and …
Farmers partner with chefs
Registrations topped 430 for the second edition of the BC Ministry of Agriculture’s networking and marketing event, “Every Chef Needs a Farmer, Every Farmer Needs a Chef.” Attendance was up by half from last year, necessitating a move to the PNE Forum where more than 55 exhibitors from major commodity groups including the BC Dairy …
Okanagan land-matches top 12
A half-day land-matching workshop in Kelowna on November 2 attracted nearly 40 people. The event was organized by Young Agrarians as part of a provincially funded program to match landowners with land-seekers. The crowd included young people looking for land to start farming, a young couple looking to transition out of their start-up farm, and …