BC landscape and nursery owners are ready to welcome seasonal farm workers after concerns that biometric requirements would delay arrivals this winter. Nurseries are typically the first farm operations in the province to receive workers under the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP), but some feared that a requirement for workers to provide biometric information would …
NEWS
Shout-out for vegetables
BC’s agrifood exports were a key driver of record revenues for the agriculture sector in 2018, rising 10% to $4.5 billion. The growth rate was double that of the sector as a whole, which grew 5% to $15 billion. Now, figures from BC Statistics indicate exports are on track to break through last year’s tally. …
Province makes appointments
A new year means a new lease on life for many government appointees, and new responsibilities for others. The turn of the year saw Joe Deuling appointed December 31 to the Agricultural Land Commission. The following day, Robert Haywood-Farmer had his appointment renewed. Both men serve on the commission’s Interior panel. However, the system of …
Trespass awareness needed
Greater public awareness of the cost of trespassing on farmland is one positive result of a December 28 joyride in a Saanich hayfield. Two trucks ran amok in the 10-acre field farmed by Longview Farms, said general manager Ryan Vantreight. The 17-year-old drivers were caught when the trucks became stuck in the mud. “The police …
Abbotsford dairy tops farm sales
The top farm property sale in BC last year was Lilac Ridge, a dairy farm at 940 Cole Road in Abbotsford. The transaction was valued at $9 million, according to BC Assessment Authority, which released the 2020 assessment roll this month. The top five farm property transactions in BC last year all took place in …
Bursary fund welcomes applications
Post-secondary education is expensive and a financial gift can be a huge help. Whether it’s to help cover tuition fees, books or rent, the costs add up. To help offset such costs and honour the memory and achievements of agricultural journalist J.R. (Tim) Armstrong (1911-1979), the Tim Armstrong Educational Foundation awards a $1,000 bursary to …